Rain of Feathers
by Kaika-sama
Summary: A continuation of the evo series with a focus on Rogue. It seems Xavier saw terrible happenings for the future and is doing everything in his power to stop the events from harming his X-men, only other forces would seem to oppose him and bring danger.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: The characters of X-men belong to Marvel or should I say Disney now? Those people are taking over the world!

Well this old thing has been sitting on my computer for almost 4 years I think. Found it when I was deleting some old files and decided to give it a shot in before deleting it. It's part of a big ass story I'd come up with as a continuation arc of the evo series with a focus on my fave character, Rogue. I wrote like 3 chapter of the first 'super episode' before writers block hit and stopped me from continuing. As I reread my work later I started remembering most of the plots I had planned for the story and wanted to find out if it was any good. So you guys be the judges.

**K**itty Pryde a.k.a. Shadowcat found herself practically skipping down the corridors of the Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters, located in the outskirts of the town only known as Bayville. She couldn't help herself. Tomorrow morning she would be embarking towards the wonders of a college life, not that she hadn't already experienced it since she would be now starting her _second_ year at the New York University. And while there were people who dreaded the start of term week, Kitty Pryde was one of those rare few young minds who actually awaited it.

It wasn't that she didn't enjoy the summer, because she in fact did enjoyed being among her second family, the X-men, after one long year of lodging in campus at the NYU. Seeing them all united under one roof again gave her a thrill. But there was a different feeling that thrilled her more and that was the independent feel that college life gave her. _That_ thrill. The one you get when you finally realize you are your own boss. Thus she was now yearning for the end of today to give start to the day known as tomorrow.

She and Kurt had their entire baggage ready by mid-day. Well she had to practically push Kurt off the couch to get him to do his because she just knew that he'd likely leave it off as the last thing to do for the day and like most times, he'd forget or would find himself too tired at the end of the day to even worry about it. And thus, the fiasco that was day 1 of college last year would most likely repeat itself again.

She sighted as she struggled and dragged her heavy luggage down the halls of the mansion, recalling the wonderful times and memories she had here when she was 16 and an X-man. She still was, just not an active member, what with college and part-time jobs. Life of a young adult couldn't get any busier.

She remembered clearly being excited the first day of college for the senior members of the team, Scott and Jean. After the whole Apocalypse nightmare, they were worried that no college would accept their applications, them being publicly known mutants and all. But miraculously, the professor managed to find a University run by an illustrious doctor that besides being pro-mutant, was actually interested in having both straight- A's students in the campus, were he promised they would be accepted and respected as the heroes they were.

Kitty had never seen Jean happier than when the professor revealed the good news, for everybody knew her dream was to actually acquire a PHD in psychology among many other subjects. The girl had ambitions, that was true. And if Jean was happy, guess what? Scott was happy too. So when the awaited first day came, a blanket of nervousness had fallen atop the usually composed teenagers. Kitty could still see how Jean had fuzzed about every single detail.

"Did you pack your bags Scott? We won't be coming back to the mansion for a long time since we are lodging. If you forget something important then it will be lost"

"Scott your shirt is crumpled. We want to set a good example so go change"

"Scott we are going to be late, hurry up"

Kitty giggled at the memory of a frustrated Scott Summers as he went from here to there, fixing anything that Jean might have found out of place. And what was worst for him was that Bobby never got tired of bringing up the subject of how "whipped" Scott was that day.

After heaving her luggage down the stairs, Kitty finally reached the foyer were she deposited the last of her bags besides a great big pile of hand bags, backpacks and suitcases which contained her entire shoe collection and wardrobe, her make-up, her drum-set (courtesy of Rogue), her new set of books and last but not least, her most valuable companion, her shiny new laptop; courtesy of Charles Xavier as a start of term gift.

Seeing her work for today was done, she dusted her hands and looked around the elegant foyer of the mansion. A frown decorated her face as she notice the lack of "Kurt luggage" in the room.

"Urgh, that boy! Nothing gets through that thick head of his" she said exasperated as she made her way towards the recreational room were laughter and shouts could be heard.

_I bet he is goofing around with Bobby and the others, not even worried on the least. _

And sure enough,Kurt Wagner was among the crowd in the recreational room, laying in the couch with Bobby Drake and Jubilation Lee, who were both laughing uncontrollably at something playing in T.V. In the floor there were three Jaime's rolling around the carpet and clutching their guts in laughter. Rahne Sinclair, Roberto DaCosta, Amara Aquilla and Ray Crisp were in the big couch, eyes on the T.V. screen and grins decorating their faces. Samuel Guthrie was standing behind their couch, one hand in the frame of the couch the other around a coke can which he was drinking from. Most of its contents seem to have fallen on his Xavier Institute shirt.

Kitty approached the merry group of teenagers, coming just behind the German mutant to surprise him.

"Kurt! What are you doing lounging around! Tomorrow is our first day of term and you haven't even taken down your stuff. I don't want last year to like, repeat itself."

The blue mutant jumped off the couch in an instant and turned wide-eyed towards the petite brunette. His lanky but built 5.08 figure towering over her 5.02. Dark blue fur covered his body which was only clad in a white undershirt and some shorts. Bangs of his short dark hair that barely hid the glowing amber orbs that were his eyes along with his twitching tail, accentuated his demonic outlook. Yet still from the way he cowered behind the furniture, it seems her shouts reversed the whole demon boy effect.

"K-Kitty, I really did made my bag zis time and I vas about to take zhem down but zhen Bobby came and said he vanted to show me somezhing and—"

"Hey man, don't include me in one of your lover's quarrels" Bobby Drake snickered as he turned to grin towards the now giggling Jubilee.

Immediately Kitty's face turned an embarrassing pink color as she glared towards the troublesome pair that were grinning and giggling right now. And although Kurt's face was covered in blue fur, one could tell he too was pink under it.

"Will you guys ever grow up? I mean that was like, a long time ago" Kitty spat exasperated.

"We just never get tired of remembering, right Jubes?" Bobby said as he looked slyly towards the Asian girl besides him.

"Yup" responded the girl while she popped her bubble gum and snuggled in the couch. Her eyes back on the screen and a goofy smile making its way up her face.

It was then that Kitty turned her attention to the T.V. and finally noticed what the whole group was finding so amusing.

It was not amusing. At least not to her.

In the screen of the 42 inches T.V., what seemed to be a home video was being played. Kitty recognized it as one of those goofy music videos Evan used to make. She didn't even know those were still in the mansion, and right now she wished they weren't.

In the screen, a 14 year old Kitty Pryde was glaring at a gothic brooding 15 year old girl known only as the Rogue. Both young girls seemed to have been arguing about something from the way they were trying to glare each other to death. Kitty recognized the particular discussion as the time when she said she was trying out for a Dracula play that was showing off in school. She remembered how the resident Goth of the Mansion had insinuated that she was far too preppy and too much of an airhead to even look the part. That had gotten her so angry towards the Goth that a rivalry started and from then on; it was a battle of glares, tripping feet and "accidental" pushes between the Rogue and her. And Evan seemed to have caught almost every single moment and turned it into a stupid music loathe fest video!

"Oh man look at Kit's face. She's practically boiling eggs" guffawed Ray as he pointed animatedly at the screen were a young Kitty Pryde was in the verge of exploding, her pink shirt plastered in cafeteria mystery meat after a not so subtle push in the back by a passing Rogue. A triumphant smirk showed in her features when Kitty's outraged shriek resounded all around the cafeteria.

"Not funny guys. That stain took forever to get out. And the smell it left totally ruined my day"

The new Recruits and Kurt ignored her as they continued laughing and the phasing mutant found herself glaring at everyone, annoyed by their amusement

"Oh Oh check this one out" almost shouted Roberto as he stood up.

"The comeback of the Kitty" stated smugly Amara as another scene played out. A humming Rogue was making her way towards the institute's girl's bathroom, toiletries in hand and not even noticing a snickering Evan as he trailed behind her with the camera. Just as she was about to reach the open bathroom, rushing footsteps resounded from behind camera.

"Out of my way Evan!" shouted a young Kitty as she pushed past him, phased through the unsuspecting Goth and slammed the door right in her face. The surprised Rogue fell on her butt by the impact, rubbing her now sore nose with an outraged look.

The entire recreational room burst in laughter and Kitty couldn't help but join them as the familiar memory came to mind. She remembered Rogue being particularly nastier to her the entire week preceding that event. And the visible bruise that decorated the Rogue's nose didn't help matters.

"Mein Gott, so zhat's vat happened to Kitty's side of zhe room" Kurt exclaimed as Evan filmed an angry Rogue tearing off N'Sync posters off the pink walls. A can of spray-paint could be seen in her hand before the scene was cut to one of Kitty and Rogue arguing over the radio.

"Man is hard to believe you guys are best friends" Jamie sighted after a hard laugh. His clones having been absorbed back since they were taking up to much space and were starting to bump and tumble things.

"Yeah, hard to believe" whispered Kitty more to herself than to Jaime. She thought of her friend an all that she had to endure the past four years after the defeat of the mutant Apocalypse. Everybody thought that everything was going to be fine since their biggest threat was defeated and Magneto no longer thrived in disrupting the peace that had settled down in Bayville.

Everybody went off with their lives, following their own agenda. Scott, Jean, Kurt and herself were in college. Most of the new recruits were expected to graduate the next year. Well all except Boom Boom who went off to "_find"_ herself in one of her crazy road trips. One of the most unexpected changes ever was when the Brotherhood joined S.H.I.E.L.D. to become some government funded freedom fighting force under the command of none other than Nick Fury. Even the great Master of Magnetism hadn't been sighted for the last 2 years, seemingly reevaluating his ideals. In few words, everyone changed for the better good.

But Rogue, Rogue got the sucky part of it all. Having been the last one in contact with the mammoth mutant Apocalypse, she got cursed with a series of nightmares that tormented her to no end. Kitty still remembered the few nights she spent in their old room, how she would wake up to a sleepwalking Rogue opening her door. And what creeped out Kitty the most was that she would always do the same actions over and over again every single night, wandering towards either the professor's or Ororo's rooms. Just guarding she would say. From what? Kitty didn't know.

The Professor and Ororo were starting to become worried because her lack of rest started showing off in her academic record. Kitty had the bad feeling that these nightmares were just the building of some great big event that would surely end up bad for Rogue. And she got her confirmation that unforgettable day, the day of 'the accident'.

Of course, no one talk about 'the accident' anymore. It was taboo. After a few sessions with the professor, he managed to repress the nightmares and any overwhelming emotions that might have been caused by 'the accident', boxing them deep within her mind and hoping that this time Rogue would finally have peace of mind. After those, and Logan's new Yoga sessions along with special training to help her take things off her mind, it was like a new Rogue was born. A change that finally did her good, Kitty thought.

"Kitty? Kitty are you zhere? Earth to Kitty…" a voice brought her out of her reverie as she shook her head and turned to the origin of said voice, to find two brilliant golden orbs staring right at her.

"Uh, sorry Kurt got lost in my thoughts. Did you say something?" responded Kitty while she rubbed her tired eyes. The day's chores and college preparations were starting to fall on her and she was starting to feel tired.

"Oh nein, just that I saw you daze off zhere, thought somezhing vas vrong vhen you didn't seem the slighzest bit phased by seeing your half-naked younger self running after Rogue zhat day she swiped your clothes off zhe bathroom"

"Half-naked?!" She noticed that what Kurt said was true and that the recreational room's T.V. indeed depicted said scene while clones of Jaime seem to shower the room with laughter. "Hey Kitty, I didn't know you owned Pikachu underwear" mocked one of the Jamie clones.

"Oh no, end of movie night. It's almost 11:30 and I know all you guys have morning danger room session. WITH Logan AND Rogue might I remind you?"

Sounds of groans and protest filled the room as she turned off the T.V. and one by one, the high scholars started getting off from their slumped comfortable positions in the couches or the floor.

"Hey who says it was easy being an X-man? Now off you guys go, go to bed. Tomorrow is a very busy day. And don't you think you are like, off the hook Kurt. Don't even think of touching the bed before you like, take down your luggage"

"_Ja Fräulein_" muttered Kurt as he tiredly dragged his feet upstairs but then seem to think better and 'bamfed' out of sight, leaving behind the acrid smell of brimstone.

"Ack, putrid man" commented one of the recruits as they passed the cloud of smoke and made their way towards their bedrooms.

Making sure everything was in order, Kitty turned off the room's lights and headed off to bed herself. The tiredness caused by the day making her lids heavy enough to close more than a few times during her trek. When she reached her side of the room she dove into her bed, not bothering to undress since she was planning to be asleep in a few seconds. But that plan was going to have to be put in lay-away because her hearing was starting to pick up soft whimpering. She sighted tiredly as she sat up groggily on her bed and looked towards her roommate who lay tangled in her bed coverings, twisting from side to side every few moments.

"Ugh not again" she whispered to herself as she stood up and made her way towards her friend's bed. Rogue's slightly long auburn hair lay tangled all around her. The unusual white stripes that usually framed her face now lay pasted to her sweaty forehead, while her face twisted in features of pain and discomfort. Kitty noticed that there was slight moisture under the long lashes of her troubled friend.

"Rogue, wake up, you are dreaming" she tried to wake up her friend by shaking her slightly by the shoulders. But the girl simply twisted away, mumbling unintelligibly.

"Rogue, c'mon wake up, I'm telling you, everything you see, is not real" she yet again tried but instead got muttering out of her. Kitty then leaned her ear close to her friend's mouth to see if she could hear or understand what she was saying. Maybe it might give her a clue to what her friend has been dreaming the past few nights.

"'nocent……not meh….please…don't……believe…..don't leave…. innocent"

Kitty frowned at the mumbling for she couldn't put most of it together thus it didn't make sense to her. She started shaking Rogue again by the shoulder but this time with a little more strength. It was frightening her that her friend wasn't responding as she kept twisting and mumbling each time getting more violent and louder.

"Don't leave……please, don't leave…meh don't…..don't leave"

"Rogue I'm here. I'm not going to leave you, I just want you to wake up please, just wake up" she started pleading her as she noticed that her friend had started writhing. She had half a mind to get up, run to the professor and tell him everything that had been happening in the past two weeks but just as she was about to stand up, Rogue's hand came out of nowhere and grabbed her arm.

"Don't leave me!" and the desperate shout made her turn to her now wide awake friend who was staring at her with tearing frightened eyes. Kitty then turned her gaze towards Rogue's bare arm and hand, which was clutching _her_ arm. Her clothed arm.

_Thank God._ She thought but then her eyes flittered towards an intriguing glowing runic tattoo that hugged and adorned most of Rogue's tensed left forearm. Worry filled her mind immediately.

"K-Kitty….w-what happened? Why…Why are ya…" But then Rogue trailed off as she too noticed at what was her friend looking at. She quickly let go of her and hid her shaking arm under the covers.

"S-sorry, guess ah did it again, uh?" Rogue said sheepishly while she tried to straighten out the mess that was her hair. Her right hand was shaking while her entire left arm remained hidden under the thick dark green covers. Sweat was coming down her forehead and down her back. She could now feel the uncomfortable way her pale green pajama top was practically plastered all over her cold back.

"Rogue, this is starting to get repetitive, and really, is starting to worry me. I think we should tell the professor bef—"

"No!" shouted Rogue in sudden anger but then her features soften as she looked down at her trembling sweaty hand. "Sorry…but Kit, Ah- Ah really don't wanna go through that again. Ah know it did me good the first time but these nightmares, they are different than the last ones"

"Rogue how are they different if your writhing and shouting and-and that _thing_ is glowing again!" Kitty started pacing around in frustration, her hands beginning to wring at her hair. Then she turned her now wide open eyes at the nervous looking Rogue.

"Rogue I don't want last time's events to happen again. You kept me from telling the professor the nightmares were affecting you last time but this time I'm not going to sit and watch while you lose your mind all over again!" The last words said in a louder desperate voice, making Rogue winced at the meaning behind them. She knew Kitty was referring to the accident. The accident that made her dropped out of college and remain here in the mansion as the professor's assistant. Nobody ever talked about the accident anymore mainly because some facts were still questionable, while others were far too emotional and out of place for even Rogue to explain. She preferred not even remembering the thing ever happened, but Kitty's harsh words brought a few of the memories to her mind again.

Kitty seemed to notice the pained look on her friends face and regretted mentioning the accident. She walked over and sat by the bed while she gave her trembling friend a soft hug.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have. The words slipped out of my mouth-I didn't--…Is just sometimes it frustrates me! When I go back and think I could have saved you a whole lot of pain and instead off helping you keep your secret I should have…I should have done something. I don't want it to repeat itself all over again, and that like last time, it ends up being my fault"

"Kitty is not ya fault. It was meant to happen"

"No, no it wasn't, and Rogue I'm sorry but this time, I'm not going to remain on the sidelines. I'm not stupid Rogue. I can see the symptoms, it's happening again and this time I intend to put a stop to it before it harms you or anybody" She suddenly got up and started making her way towards the door.

"Kitty wait, please don't leave"

Rogue's slightly desperate tone made Kitty freeze as she clearly remember Rogue shouting her something like that just before she woke up. She turned her face towards her friend who still remained in bed.

Rogue gulped and looked down at her hands, fumbling with a stray string at the edge of her cover. The glowing in her arm seemed to have dissipated.

"Kitty just trust meh, it isn't like last time. Last time Ah remembered vividly t-the visions and all, but this time…this time Ah never seem ta remembah the dream itself. The only thing that remains from it is justa feeling. Ah just wake up and feel…lonely" She raised her head to see that her friend was back besides her. Kitty's eyes were now filled with a strange depth of sadness.

"Rogue you were shouting me not to leave you, to believe something. I really don't understand these new dreams but the one thing that I know about them is that you _always_ do that. You _always_ shout out not to leave you and then…then you wake up, like this, with that _thing_ glowing. Now I'm no expert in psychology but repetitive dreams mean something. Last time's event confirms it"

Rogue sighted and started to rub the tips of her fingers along her forehead while she thought out Kitty's words. Seeing the slightly tortured look on her best friend, Kitty started feeling a small ounce of pity and guilt on the inside of her stomach.

"Look Rogue, I'm probably going to kick myself tomorrow for this but, your right, this is your decision. You call it how it looks. But if I hear this problem persist I'm taking this in my own hands and believe me I'll know because I know you and I'm going to be calling you everyday I can to check up on you. Just because I'm going to be a few hundred miles away doesn't mean I'm not going to keep contact with my best friend" Kitty's stern face turned into a smile making Rogue herself smile back slightly from under her white bangs.

"Now go get yourself some water in you and then off to bed. My bedtime is way due by now, and I need to be rested for tomorrow's trip" Kitty said as she yawned her way towards her bed.

Rogue got up; put on some tattered gloves that were draped on her night table and made her way towards the door of the bedroom, the last thing she saw was her friend burying herself among her pink covers. But Kitty didn't sleep until she heard Rogue come back to the room minutes later and finally settled herself on her bed were her breathing turned to even breaths in a matter of seconds. Her thoughts went out to what just happened a while ago.

_I hope I made the right choice._

000 ROF 000

Roberto DaCosta laid in bed. The warm rays of the morning sun filtered through the blinds that covered the bedroom's windows, falling on him and energizing him in that very special way only the sun's warmth could. He could already feel the energy running through him, filling him for the day to come. The chirping of the early birds outside calming his nerves, and making him enjoy more the unusual silence that fell in the mansion at the early hours of the morning. Right now was the most perfect and tranquil moment ever…until the booming sound of hoarse screams, electric guitars and loud drums combined in a symphony of hard core rock, filling the entire mansion with sound in an instant and making him and Ray, his roommate, bolt up the bed with thumping hearts and irritated wide-open eyes.

"Shiiit, she does it on purpose" groaned Ray Crisp as he rubbed his irritated, sleep crust filled eyes while trying to breath evenly and calm his booming heart. "I'm going to die of heart or blood pressure problems if this keeps up"

"Ugh man, just consider yourself afortunado you aren't one of the girls. They get full frontal surround sound since their rooms are on the same wing" answered Roberto while he rubbed his eyes and hopped out of bed, wearing only a pair of burgundy boxers.

Just as they were finishing dressing up and grabbing their school bags they heard a few loud knocks at their door.

"C'mon, git yer butts off t'bed and dress up quickly. Y'got danger room session in 10 minutes" a gruff voice growled at them from the hallway, continued onward and knocked at the door besides them.

As they made their way out, following a bleary eyed Bobby with a slightly slumped Sam, they heard the shouting voices that could only mean one thing. Kitty and Kurt were late.

"Kurt get your lazy ass off bed, were like going to be late for our first day…again!" Kitty Pryde's shrill voice resonated throughout the entire west wing of the Xavier institute for gifted youngsters. If somebody had remained in bed after the cacophony that resounded throughout the mansion a few minutes ago, they sure as hell were wide awake now.

"God, not even Rogue's stupid alarm gets him up. I was in the kitchen and still I heard it." The boys heard the pacing brunette mutter when they passed Kurt's bedroom door in the hallway.

"The model of a grouchy wife" Bobby made the mistake of snickering and commenting a little too loudly because the petite X-woman turned in a matter of seconds and launched him the deadliest, coldest glare she could manage in her soft young features.

"Find something funny Drake? Aren't you supposed to be like, getting your butt whipped in the Danger Room?" She didn't even gave him the chance to answer, because in a matter of seconds she had phased through the door and phased back, dragging a bewildered half dressed Kurt by the tail and roughly down the stairs.

"Kitty vhat the—" was the last they heard of him before he and Kitty disappeared out of sight.

"Man, can you say whipped?" snickered Ray as he and Bobby began making fun of the two X-men on their way towards the danger room.

When they finally entered the immense metal doors that marked the entry of the famous Danger Room, a group of scowling girls glared at them. Each and every one of the girls had either their arms crossed over their chests or were bleary glaring in slouchy tired postures with their yellow and black recruit uniforms looking even more disheveled than ever. The boys just stopped their conversation and laughter and looked around the wide metal room, spotting three tired angry girls, a stretching Jamie, an unamused Rogue and a growling Wolverine.

"Yer late. I said 10 minutes an' yet, ya boys found a way to still arrive late. Move yer butts before I change my mind and make this a battle session"

Mutters of "Aww man" and a few sarcastic "Great" ranged among the four young men as they made their way over towards the rest of the team while Rogue started her stretching routine and Logan went to prepped up the controls for the danger room session.

"You guys made us waste 5 extra minutes of our morning" hissed an angry Jubilee as she, Amara Aquilla and Rahne Sinclair started their warm up stretching for the exercise to come.

"Yeah, well not our fault" muttered Ray as he cricked his neck and stretch his arm to the front, feeling the blood start running like electricity on his veins.

"There was a slight "diversion" on the way. Seems like blue boy developed some latent immune powers to resist our favorite morning alarm, and adding our resident pokémon-underwear fan to the mix, we just had to stop and watch" said a grinning Bobby as he doubled over and grasped the tips of his uniform boots, feeling that small dip of stretching pain in his leg muscles.

"So after all that hustle yesterday they're still going to end up late? Kitty must be pissed" commented Amara while she helped Jubilee do her arm warm ups.

"You know, those two are going to end up together, I can just see it" Jubilee half-whispered half-giggled while her best friend Bobby Drake and Ray agreed smirking evilly at their own devious thoughts of what the two X-men really were doing.

"Guys you better not let Rogue catch you talking about your theories or she'll practice her moves on you guys instead of the punching bag. And believe me when I say ouch"

The group of gossiping recruits turned to the small young man that was nervously looking from them to what seemed an oblivious Rogue practicing back flips a few meters away. Although his young features had developed to a slightly more mature look in the past 4 years, and to the amusement of some of the boys, the skinny short 16 year old boy didn't shaved the small bits of facial hair that had sprouted from his chin as a result of puberty; Jamie Madrox still looked liked the small youngest kid among the others and thus wasn't often included among their conversations or taken seriously.

"And you would know how? Oh right you tend to follow our dear instructor everywhere, with that big crush on her you seem to have." the Berserker mocked in a playful manner, making young Jamie scowl and blush in embarrassment.

"Shut it Ray, leave Jamie alone. Ye guys are sometimes so insensible. An' besides I can think o' some other people with wanderin' eyes" said Rahne Sinclar while looking smugly at the one known as the Iceman. Said person just avoided the Scot girl's eyes and looked around the room in a lackadaisical manner.

"Are ya guys gonna talk about crazy theories and stupid crushes all day or are ya ready to exercise"

The comment made all the recruits jump and look towards the two-toned southern girl clad in black sweats, green shirt and a black Xavier's institute jacket over it to cover her bare arms. Her shoulder length hair which in the hours of the night was drenched with sweat and tussled was now combed into a pony tail, with the white bangs framing her face. A face that was right now looking annoyed at the bunch of teenagers. Before anyone could say something, Logan's voice emerged from the intercom hidden somewhere in the room.

"Trainin' session s'ready Stripes, start anytime y'want"

"Now's a good time. Now remember boys an' girls, keep those powers at bay. This is a completely no powers self-defense class an' Ah don't want to drive some teenaged chunk remains of you guys to school…again" The recruits winced while Rogue made her way towards the center of the room, a good 5 meters away from the group of recruits.

"Goal of the session, land a blow on meh" And with a clap of the hands the danger room machinery came alive and the recruits were off.

An hour and a half later, the group of teenaged recruits came out of the metallic room, drenched in sweat. Some of them slightly bruised but nothing seriously painful. All of them were a tired mess and would have been filled with joy at the idea of going to bed right away but sadly they knew they couldn't. It was their second week back at school not to mention their last year for most of them and with recent mutant sentiments that were shared by most of their classmates they really couldn't afford playing the bad tardy students.

"Ewww, I'm all sweaty. I seriously need a bath" said Jubilee as she made her way towards the girl's bathroom.

"Me too" added Amara as she followed Jubilee but then seemed to realize something. There was only one bathroom over by the girl's wing of the mansion. If Jubilee was going there then… Amara noticed that the Asian girl was thinking among the same lines. A moment of silence fell between them as both of them watched each others movement, preparing to sprint to a run at any moment.

"Dibs on th' bathroom" yelled a Scottish accented voice and a second later an auburn furred wolf was running at full speed towards the east wing of the mansion.

"Hey wait! No fair, no powers!" yelled Jubilation Lee as she and the Brazilian princess besides her sprang to a run.

"Speak for yourself girl" and a moment later a fiery woman sprang in a faster pace after the Scottish werewolf.

"Hey!" Jubilee turned her gaze towards the sparks that were itching to come out of her hand. She grinned mischievously and threw her hands forward. Plasmic brightly colored fireworks started exploding all around the metal hallway, screeching here and there, but to her disappointment, none of them hit nor slowed down the other two girls as they disappeared down another hallway that led towards the stairs and elevators.

"Aww man these powers suck" her face fell and the tiredness of the training session caught up to her, slowing her jog to a defeated drag walk.

The boys all looked at each other after witnessing the spectacle and shrugged.

"Gym shower room?" asked Bobby.

"Gym shower room" responded Roberto, Ray, Sam and Jamie and together they made their way up towards subbasement 1 were the Gym was located.

Rogue watched the students go and sighted wearily.

"What's the matter Stripes, tired after that tiny session?" taunted the Wolverine, coming out from behind after making sure the room was in perfect condition.

"Nah, nevah" there was a slight pause in which they both just looked at the space outside the Danger Room, where the recruits were standing a few minutes ago. "Logan, Ah feel old"

Logan suddenly looked at her and even though her back was to him she just knew he had a look of disbelief on him.

"Yer telling _me_ darlin'? Now what would make ya say that?"

"Nothing, is just that sometimes…sometimes Ah wish Ah could be that carefree, ya know? Have that, well young spirit again an' just enjoy da moment? I wish Ah could still do that" she finished in a slightly bitter voice.

"Who told ya y'can't? You've made an awful lot of improvement and yer emotions are very stable. You've become a whole new person. Someone who's in control and managed to master almost everything I taught ya"

"Not enough control"

Although Logan managed to catch the small whisper thanks to his enhanced hearing, he decided to ignore it and just watched the troubled southerner in silence. After a few silent seconds, Logan thought she wasn't going to continue their conversation, but to his surprise she turned on her heel and looked him straight in the face.

"Do ah look old to ya?" the sudden question left him suddenly unbalanced although on the outside he didn't show it. "Ah mean, Am Ah getting wrinkly and all—"

"Darlin'—a grin breakin in his face— besides me, ya probably look like a toddler. What are ya 24, 25?"

"21 Logan, Ah can't beli—"

"See, 21, that's what, A puppy? C'mon kid, yer barely outta the zit phase" he grinned shaking his head in amusement at the outrage showing on the spunky, two-toned haired girl.

"Well, besides a sack of ancestry lahke ya, who wouldn't? Ah bet ya could have even baby-sat the Professah in his early years"

Logan's grin fell and he narrowed his eyes towards the now smirking girl.

"Care ta settle this over a session? I got just the right one in mind" his voice lowered in a threatening way as he and the Rogue stared each other out. After a tense moment of silence a grin broke on Rogue's face as well as in Logan.

"Nah, Ah can't. Ah'll have to owe ya that one though. Gotta get ready to take the kids ta school"

Logan only smiled as he watched her go. "Have fun" he called out.

"Oh lotsa fun" he heard her sarcastic reply before the sound of her footstep disappeared out of hearing distance.

000 ROF 000

When Rogue entered the kitchen, some of the recruits (the boys) were already there making each their own breakfast. They still had about an hour an a half to make it to school and that gave them enough time to enjoy their meal and still do some last minute homework or something. The remains of Kitty's and Kurt's messy breakfast told her they had gone in a hurry, and having already said their goodbyes yesterday, they must have rode off in Kurt's jeep as soon as possible.

Rogue made her way towards the refrigerator to take out a box of frozen waffles and a carton of milk. She smiled at the sight of the milk in her hand. Ever since Evan went his own way, with the morlocks, most of the X-men didn't have to suffer a morning without milk for their cereal, or that special cup of coffee some of them needed to survive the day. She remembered the many times she would scream at the spiked mutant for hogging all the milk. The smile turned into a sad frown when she remembered the sad side of Evan being no longer with them. Sure he was a pain in the ass sometimes but still, he was an X-man. Part of the family. Her family. And now he was who knows where out there, running a different life maybe, for no one had heard of him in the past two years. Not even Ororo. He went his own way it seems. Everyone did.

Kitty and Kurt were at NYU, studying to become somebody out in the world. Kitty was majoring in computer science and programming while Kurt, to her surprise, was studying theological theories and studies of the different beliefs.

Jean and Scott, the senior members and usually the heads of the team, were in some fancy college in Seattle, both of them making the most out of the gift of education that was miraculously offered to them.

Ororo Munroe and Henry McCoy didn't really move from the mansion, but they were away on business, somewhere in Cairo Egypt. And although it was a business trip, the professor had sent them there too as a small vacation break after the long years of work they had served at the mansion. So they probably weren't going to be present in the Institute for a long time.

The recruits were gone half the day because they were attending school so that left her, Logan and the professor the only occupants of the mansion for most of the day. Sometimes it felt lonely.

"Are you done with the milk chika, I seriously need a bowl of 'Fruity Pebbles'" a female voice made her snapped out of her reverie and look at the Asian face of Jubilee, who stood with a stressed expression against the counter, fumbling with the tabs of the cereal box.

"Yeah sure, here" she said after serving herself a glass of milk. The black haired girl who had her damp hair, styled in a low ponytail sighted tiredly while she started mixing the milk with her bowl of cereal. Rogue was about to ask her what was bothering her when loud explosions and battle cries filled the room. She turned to look at the youngest resident of the mansion who was sitting eating pancakes at the large table, eyes glued to the hanging T.V. which was now depicting a gory and very violent show where from what she understood, people with incredible 'powers' battled for survival against monsters and dinosaurs on a secluded hidden savage Island. If they survived the ordeal they got to battle one of the previous champions. It was basically a lot of fake violence cooped up with lots of people screaming in a 30 minute cheap waste of time.

"Ooh 'Blood Fest' is on, cool" that was Bobby whom along with Jamie and Ray practically lived off the show every morning. The violence and the scantly clad heroines attracted them to the show like magnets. Roberto and Sam on the other hand were a little more mature and although she would catch them taking a peak or two at the show when the half-naked warrior women entered the screen, they still thought it was a bunch of unoriginal crap made to entertain feeble minds.

"Aw c'mon, you can practically _see_ the wires on that guy. He isn't really flying at all. I mean _I_ can make a better job than he's doing" criticized Roberto while taking a bite off his buttered toast.

"Dude those are not wires, they are spider webs" replied an annoyed Jamie without even batting an eye. He was the biggest fan of the show. Never missed it, thus whenever Roberto got in critic mode, he would get annoyed that somehow they were 'dissing' one of the coolest thing in his life, as told by him. Sam on the other hand chose to keep silent most of the times since he just chatted with the girls or read the paper.

"Hey Rogue, do you think the people in there, you know on the show, have real powers. I mean, you know maybe they're like us and they're using their powers to entertain people. Maybe they're not hated there, unlike us"

Rogue raised an eyebrow to the 16 year old boy, lots of rather cruel comments like "Kid, get real" or "Are you serious?" crossed her mind but she chose to remain silent, taking a sip of her fresh milk and planting on a puzzled face and muttering a small "Maybeh". Out of all the people in the institute, Rogue was the softest towards Jamie. He being the youngest and the one who got excluded the most, even though he was older now. She sympathized with him since she didn't really have any friends either in her younger years. Well that was until the X-men came and became her family. Kitty being the closest thing to a best friend she ever had.

"Sorry to burst your bubble multiple boy but newsflash, one: the world hates mutants and two: those are just cheap b-list actors that would do anything for money. Even if it meant parading around in corny outfits in a jungle set shouting here and there"

Jamie's face fell but then turned into a scowl as he looked towards the primly sat Amara who was feasting on some French toast.

"You're just jealous that green haired chick looks better than you, even _in_ a goofy outfit. And she has better powers to boot" a smirking Jamie said in a coolly manner.

Before Amara could lunge at Jamie, Charles Francis Xavier made his entrance in his wheel chair, wheeling through the kitchen door. One look at the T.V. and at the gaping boys made him shake his head and sight, making his way over to the Goth who was already finishing her bowl of 'Oatmeal Oats'.

"Good morning Rogue, kids" he said in a pleasant manner.

"Good morning professor" everyone replied automatically.

"Ya kids better hurry up, wouldn't want to be late f'r school now" said a gruff voice, making everyone look towards the buff silhouette of Logan leaning against the entryway from which Xavier came with seconds ago.

"Just a second, the show is almost over. The space gladiator, Magnetrix is about to kick serious Iron as—err behind" corrected Jamie before the Professor would notice. But he was already frowning at the space woman's clothing.

"Is it just me, or is that not Magnus's usual choice of cloth" muttered the professor to Rogue who just looked at the screen in scrutinizing confusion.

"I don't think Magneto could top that ass" commented Bobby before realizing in the presence of who he was and laughed nervously "Not that that matters, he he"

"Alright bub, enough T.V. Off to school with y'guys" growled Logan practically kicking the boys out of the kitchen.

"Well duty calls" Rogue sighted and got up, fetching the van keys from the key hanger and waving goodbye to the professor as she pushed-shoved past Logan.

"Remember y'got a Tai Chi session after you comeback"

"Yeah, yeah" she said without even looking at him and in a matter of steps she was out the door.

The recruits were already mounting the long dark blue _Toyota Hiace_ in which Rogue always drove them in to school. They were a little cramped up but they all 10 of them fitted in.

"Hey Roguey, gonna let me drive today?"

"In your dreams Drake. Ya probably crash us against a tree, they way Ah see you ride that ice of yours"

"She's got a point there" said a smirking Jubilee as she buckled up and started taking out her usual car ride supplies which consisted of a strip of strawberry flavor bubble gum and her trusty yellow IPod. And by the sounds of the loud techno-pop music coming out of it, Jubilee was unreachable for the rest of the trip. Bobby made a note of getting back at her later.

After a very loud and bustling car ride Rogue was glad to finally reach the destination and drop off the group of teenagers at Bayville high school. A chill ran down her back when her eyes roamed over the peach colored building. She had been glad when she finally graduated from that place since her last 2 years were a nightmare, given to the 'friendly' way the rest of the student population treated her and the X-men. She hoped that the recruits were faring better, but her thoughts were put to rest when just as she was making her way out of the school parking lot she noticed something happening.

000 ROF 000

All the recruits had made their way inside the building. That is all but Jamie Madrox who stood alone like an outsider, unnoticed or simply ignored. True, even if he wasn't a known mutant, he still thought he would be unpopular. He wasn't as tall as Sam, or as suave and charming as Roberto. He didn't possess the inner confidence and slick manner that Bobby Drake had or the muscles and tough exterior that Ray always emanated. He was just Jaime Madrox. Just plain, short and skinny Jamie Madrox. The boy who had a crush on junior cheerleader, Sheila Desoto.

He watched as a sandy haired young man placed his arm around her, only to have it shrugged out. He knew who that was. Everybody did. The ones who didn't know who Josh Matthews, star of the Bayville High Football team was, really lived in another galaxy. Jamie knew Josh liked Sheila, and it seemed everything Josh wanted Josh got. Right now he watched as Sheila and her clique walked away from Josh Matthews and his friends who were all laughing at Sheila's refusal to whatever Josh said. The athlete just shrugged it off and followed another skirt. Jamie's eyes then followed Sheila as she met up with some other boys and made her way into the building.

Oh how he wished so many times he could be like them; cool, popular, normal… Lost in his own thoughts and dreams he didn't notice Josh and his friends come over towards the bench he was currently sitting on.

"Watcha looking at Madrox?" asked Josh Matthews in a hushed voice, making Jaime jump out in surprise.

"N-Nothing"

"That so? 'Cause my boys and I were just walking when we notice you looking at Desoto. Were you looking at Desoto, Madrox?"

"N-No, I wasn't" he lowered his face, playing abstenmindly with a stray cord from the edge of the long sleeved, lime green shirt.

"Hey maybe he was hoping to catch a _glimpse_ of her y 'know Josh. It gets awfully drafty this autumn mornings, and that little cheerleader skirt sure doesn't cover up much" hushed a black haired senior, clad in a gray sleeveless DC shirt, with the Varsity jacket over it, covering his bare shoulders from the breeze.

"Yeah and him seating here all alone in the dark makes one wonder what's he really up to. Peeping at young innocent girls in the confines of the bushes. I would never have suspected it. What about you Josh?" said another jock clad in a dark blue shirt and the team's jacket.

"Nope, never would have known. I didn't know you peeped at Sheila, Madrox"

"No, that's not it. I would never peep at her!" suddenly shouted Jaime, blushing from embarrassment.

"Would you look at that, boys? He got all red and all. Seems he's got a crush on our sweet little Desoto. You like Sheila Desoto, Madrox? You actually think you got a chance with her? I mean look at you, all gangly and thin, not to mention short. Don't really want to offend you but I don't exactly picture you being with a woman, ever. Makes me wonder if I'm making a mistake" muttered Josh in a mock pensive manner while rubbing his chin.

"What are you talking about?" asked a confused and slightly disheveled Jaime.

"Maybe is not Desoto you were looking at. Maybe……you don't even like women at all. I mean I've never seen you with one, not even one of your freako friends from your mutie institute and that's saying that counts. Could you possibly, I don't know, be into something else…men perhaps? Do you find me attractive Madrox?" suddenly asked Josh as he shoved his face in front of Jaime's who in a matter of seconds backed away forcefully…and fell on his butt at the other side of the bench. Laughter filled the air as the three jocks fell into a bout of laughs.

"Well who would have thought we ever met a gay mutant. That's a first for me, although Drake could possibly classify too"

"I'm not gay!"

Suddenly the laughter stopped as a fuming red Jaime made his way to his feet, dusting his clothes with shaking hands.

"What's that you said Madrox?" asked Josh in a threatening manner.

"I said I'm not gay. And I-I've been with women. L-lots and lots for your information"

The jock's scowl slowly turned into an amused grin, as he looked at his companions in disbelief.

"You heard that boys, little boy says he got game. Yeah well what in the world could possibly make me believe you?"

And to Jaime's relief the answer to Josh's question came in the form of a voluptuous woman clad in tight ripped jeans and a dark green tank top that accentuated her curves and gave quite a view of her assets. A brown worn out leather jacket protected her bare arms and shoulders from the cold while her hands were clad in black leather gloves. Her green eyes glinted in a mischievous manner as she looked at Jamie and made her way over in a sensual walk. If it wasn't for the unusual hair Jaime wouldn't have recognized her for her face was free of the purple eye shadow that framed her eyes most of the time.

"Well hello hello, who might you be gorgeous?" asked Josh as he and his friend turn to face her. "Haven't seen you around that's for sure"

"Well that's because Ah don't go here. Ah was merely visiting to see mah guy"

At this comment Josh's eye brows lifted. And when Rogue made her way over to a silent gaping Jaime his eyebrows practically disappear behind his sandy haired locks.

"Sugah you left in such a hurry last naight Ah think ya took some stuff by mistahke. Imagine mah surprise went Ah found this— and to Jaime's surprise and Josh bewilderment Rogue took out a pair off wrinkled dark blue boxers (which Jaime recognized as the results of Jubilee's last prank on the Iceman) out of her jacket pocket—right by mah bedside"

"…..I-I'm sorry?....Babe?"

"Yeah well ya should beh. Ah think ya took mine. Ya know that little red thing you gave me on mah birthday. Ah really lahked that one" pouted Rogue in her over-exaggerated southern accent. Meanwhile the jocks' jaws seemed to have gotten stuck on the floor as they heard with wide eyes the incident.

"Oh yeah, erm…right. Shall I bring it back,…t-today?" squirmed Jaime as he noticed Rogue's face getting nearer and nearer his by the seconds. It wasn't that he was afraid of her powers but rather of her closeness. Ray was right; he did have a crush on Rogue if not a small one and right now her proximity was setting off all kinds of alarms and senses as he could feel his body heating up. Rogue's mouth was now by his ear, her warm breath bathing it and tickling his inner ear.

"Ya better" whispered Rogue, loud enough for Josh and his friends to hear her. She then straighten up and left him with a "See ya t'night Sugah" her silhouette disappearing somewhere in the parking lot.

"Who would have thought" whispered one of the jocks in awe as his eyes searched for the southern brunette over the crowd of cars that was the distant parking lot.

"Tell me Madrox, how could a guy like _you_ score with someone like _her_?" asked Josh in an annoyed slightly angered manner.

Jamie seemed to collect himself after the event, shouldering his bag pack, dusting his clothes of dust one more time and smirking towards the blondish jock.

"It's the charm Matthews" he said triumphantly as he walked away towards the building, leaving the jocks dumbfounded. He couldn't wait to tell Bobby what happened. He knew the news would make the Iceboy scream to the seven heavens for the rest of the day. Besides, he had to give the guy his underwear back.

000 ROF 000

Later that evening, Rogue sat in the roof of the institute, guitar in one hand and telephone in the other. After the Jaime act she had gone back to the institute to meditate with Logan and tune-up her senses. Logan then got to spar with her and 'settle the score' about her morning taunting. Cliff-notes version, Logan wiped her ass all over the training simulation.

"Damn it, Ah didn't know he'd take it that seriously. Mah butt s'still screaming and Ah probably gonna have to eat standing tonight" complained Rogue to the telephone.

*That's what you get when you become a Wolvie girl. Do you know how many arm and back pains I had to like, nurse when Logan taught _me_ self-defense. I mean, I could have been better off if a crook robbed me. You know, I still remember the wonderful feeling of flying, wind in my face and all that crap…and then BAM! Glorious pain of my face slamming in the floor after one of Logan's mortal flips. He should be sued, you know*

"Well Kit the man was worried you might get abused or something over at NYU. Ah mean you being a mutant and all"

*Rogue, how was I going to get a harder beat than one of Logan's, from a college guy? And besides you were there with me and all, so nothing could have gone wrong*

Rogue grimaced as she remembered her time with Kitty at NYU. Best friends and room-mates all over again. Only now they were legal adults and independent. She and Kitty had most of the best moments of their lives rooming and partying together over at their little apartment in the campus. That is until the incident. The unseen accident that took away her studies and her newly acquired happiness. Rogue would still wince with the mere thought of it.

"Ah saw her Kitty. Today at mah Tai Chi session with Logan, Ah saw her again"

*Who, what are you talking ab— oh her? You saw her? Did something happened, any trouble?* came Kitty's suddenly worried voice.

"No, nothing big and serious. Ah was just doing some meditating exercises to calm mah mind after, you know, the morning thing Ah tolda ya about, and then Ah saw her in mah mind. Ah memory Ah think. She was smirking in that way Ah used to hate, like she's the hottest thing to come to earth since Coke. And then… then she just vanished among the clutter of mah mind. Ah think she influenced me to do that thing with Jaime, Ah mean Ah would have never…"

*Oh C'mon it wasn't that bad. Poor Jamie has been having it hard from the start. It's good to know those guys aren't going to be like, bothering him and stuff*

"Yeah, in a way she did good. If not in her own obnoxious look-at-me Ah'm a star way. Look Kit, Ah gotta go. Ah think Ah hear someone coming and Ah've been hiding from Amara and Jubilee the whole day. Girl you don't know how persistent those girls get when it comes to details. Especially if it is as they say 'major gossip material'. Catch ya later bookworm"

*Yeah well back at ya drop out*

Rogue just chuckled and turned off the talk button on the pink phone. Kitty's horrible pink cell phone which she had left behind to talk with Rogue so they wouldn't hog the institute's phone line with their calls. Rogue was already getting a major itch to get a spray can and give it a paint job.

"Man I'm going to kill Matthews!" an angry voice followed by the hard slam of something piqued up her curiosity. She stationed her guitar and crawled the roof in her hands and knees all the way towards the back of the mansion were the commotion seemed to originate. There, in the basketball court, she could just make out the silhouettes of Bobby sitting on the hard cement of the court watching Ray angrily shooting hoops. Ray's face was contorted in rage as he launched an electrically charged basketball with all his might from half-court. The ball slammed into the board, down in the rim of the ring and ricocheted off to the side were it would have been lost in the large gardens if it weren't for Bobby's last minute ice ramp.

"Hey man, you gotta calm down. You can't let him get to you. That's what he wants. Look I know Matthews is an asshole and all, but he just wants us to make the first move so that _we_ end up looking like the bad guys" Bobby said as he dribbled the ball, took aim and shot the ball. Almost not making it, the ball was aided by a mysterious icicle that came out of nowhere.

"Don't you think I know that?! Look the guy just obviously noticed we are too much for him, that's why he's making these new tricks. I mean did you see what he did to the girls? How he humiliated Jubilee?!" Sparks were coming out of Ray's hand as he yet again charged the singed ball and let it fly, this time smacking into the board and rebounding right into Bobby's hands.

"Yeah, I know" Bobby's voice suddenly turned so quiet and icy that Rogue had to strain her ears to catch what he was saying. "Jubes may be a pain in the ass, but what he did…I'm just going to say, what goes around comes around, and he better watch his back because when you mess with an X-man, you mess with _all_ of them" hands trembling, he took a shot and just as the ball passed the hoop, instead of bouncing off the floor, it chattered in pieces. The insides of the ball were frozen solid.

Rogue raised an eyebrow at the actions of the unmentioned leader of the recruits. Bobby was usually the jokester, never taking anything serious. Nothing fazed him and for him to be actually serious about something then something was going on. Now she really didn't want to be the one to blab or tattle but if she learned something in the past, is that stuff like this is stuff that at least Xavier should know. Too bad she didn't have the courage to speak for herself.

"Yeah, but do you actually believe Briggs and his bullshit lies? There's no such thing as a mutant neutralizer. I mean 'Null-a-Mutant'?! Please, the little dipshit is puking lies" said Ray as he and Bobby made their way towards the backdoor entrance. Since the ball was obviously dead, there was nothing else to be doing out in the court.

"Yeah Ray, but you forget that his father is a member of that new organization-what's-it-name- the Pals of Humanity?" said Bobby in a slight worried tone. "What if it's true? What if those crazy asses are really developing some kind of poison against us? I can just see it now, mutants are going to get abused everywhere and if we try to defend ourselves then it'll be all our fault. Think what Josh and his idiots could do with something like that? We got to be careful, Bayville High is no church"

Ray seemed to become pensive for a moment, going over Bobby's words and the possible truths in his crazy assumptions. What if Popsicle boy was right? With the way the people looked at them lately, he could just feel the 'love' they'd get when Briggs brings over his daddy's new toy. But that's if Briggs is really saying the truth and knowing that prick he was probably bluffing just to tick them off.

_Well I was about to rip his face, powers or no powers, after the stunt he and Matthews pulled off in math class with Jubilee, so he probably did made it up._

"Hmm Ray, are you alright?"

Ray snapped out of thought only to notice Bobby was gone and he was standing alone in the patio with Jamie looking at him from between the backdoor entrance.

"Where's Bobby?"

"Oh he left ages ago, said your brain froze again and that this time it wasn't his fault" answered Jaime.

"Urgh, popsicle douche. Wait 'till I get my hands on him. Gonna teach him why you shouldn't mix water and sparks together" there was a slight pause before Ray took a breath and released it in a calming motion, and suddenly faced Jamie with a sly grin, swinging his arm around his shoulders. "So, Jamie, What's this I hear about our Roguey-Ro wanting to get under your pants? I just _gotta_ know it all, and remember, Roberto would like a full report too"

And with that they parted into the institute, the sound of their voices becoming but mere whispers. Rogue had to retain her sudden urge to smack Ray silly. How dare he?! And Roguey-Ro? Puh-lease. But right now, she had more serious matters, like informing the professor about this interesting new invention straight from the FOH.

By the time she reached the Professor's office it was a quarter to seven. Dinner was to be served by seven so she had little time for discussion. She knocked on the majestically polished mahogany doors and like always Xavier invited her in through the wonders of his telepathy. Logan was pacing on the red carpet with a knotted brow while Xavier just smiled wearily at her. It seems they were in the middle of something.

"Ah can comeback later professor, if ya want too?"

"No Rogue, please stay. I can sense great turmoil coming from you child. Is something the matter?" said the professor in that calm voice of his that always seem to put her at ease. Every time he'd talk to her that way she would always feel this huge wave of peace filter inside her. As if he was there then everything would be alright. Rogue took a deep breath and started retelling the conversation she heard between Ray and Bobby, minus cussing of course.

After the long explanation and her own thoughts in the subject, the Professor remained silent; fingers interlaced, and thumbs holding his temple steady. Logan had stopped pacing and had gone silent in one corner of the room, seemingly in deep thought as well.

"Well?" she asked.

"Well I think this matter should be taken into consideration immediately, even though it's a theory. I don't want to take risks, given our past experiences. I shall send Logan to follow a lead I have in mind"

Logan suddenly raised his eyes to look at the calm wise man. In Rogue's opinion he should be itching to finally get out of here since the mansion has been like dead in action the last couple of months. The last exhilarating thing he participated in was the accident and he really didn't do much since he ended up unconscious in a matter of seconds, or minutes she really couldn't tell much. Memory was hazy.

"But Chuck, what about the kid? Ain'tcha gonna do something about that? I already promised her I helped her out and stuff, and it was kinda hard to do so too" the last he muttered, crossing his strong arms over his broad chest, looking kind off intimidating. Only Logan had the talent to make the smallest thing look intimidating, without even meaning to.

"Do not worry about that Logan. Rogue can take care of that while you are away. I am sure she won't mind, right?"

"Sure, whatever it is, Ah'll do it. Is not as if I have a busy schedule or anything"

"Thank you, Rogue. Well now that that's settled; Logan, I shall inform you of your mission after dinner. Right now I'm famished" and with that, he wheeled his chair out of his office and into the hallways.

"Uh, professor, one last thing"

"Yes, Rogue?"

"Erm, what exactly am Ah supposed to do?"

Charles Xavier lifted a smile and chuckled.

"Well let's just say you and our dear Jubilee are going to be spending the next evenings reading in the library" and with a last chuckle he was gone.

"Have fun kid" mocked Logan as he too left following Xavier to dinner while leaving a dumbfounded Rogue to her thoughts.

_Great, just great._

000 ROF 000

Somewhere in the cold darkness of the night, in an archeological dig site in Cairo, Egypt; Men shouted orders in an Arabian language. There were several camping tents adorning the outline of the excavation site located in the middle of a vast desert. Some off them were already occupied by studying archeologists or laborers on break catching a few Z's. But there was still action in the digging site as late night laborers went here and there, working in uncovering the latest secret. A few weeks ago, a group of student archeologists had topped onto what seemed the biggest archeological find in the past decade.

While going through one of the famous archeological expeditions of the Cairo Studies of Egyptology Institute, they had found a series of underground tunnels that seemed to lead to what is believed to be the tomb of one of the many successors of Ramses II. According to some ancient Egyptian professional translators straight out of Oxford, the hieroglyphic in the tunnel walls said that inside the tomb of the beholder, there was an ancient mystical door that led to limbo. Some American corporate rich man found out about that and some supposed treasure and founded the expedition.

Until now, they really hadn't found nothing, but things were about to change.

A man in a dirtied turban and a poncho ran his way around the site and towards one of the tents in which a man dressed in dark brown pants, white open shirt and a brown hat sat, smoking from his pipe while examining one of the latest find which was a papyrus depicting what seemed to be the end of the world.

"Mr. O'Connell! Mr. O'Connell Serr, the boys, they faund somthink" almost shouted the exited man in an Arabian accent.

The man with the hat lifted his eyes from examining the ancient paper roll and raised one thick dark eyebrow in question.

"Serr, they think iss the dorr"

At the mention of the door, the man by the name of O'Connell stood up in a flash and made his way towards the latest drill zone. Once he got there he found a group of Arabian workers pulling at some ropes as they heaved up what looked like a 7 feet square stone tablet. O'Connell walked towards the nearest group of workers who were now trying to deposit the heavy piece of stone onto the sand covered floor.

"Careful now, we wouldn't want to damage Mr. W's goods now. Maybe this piece of crud is really the sodding door we've been looking for the past bleeding weeks" the man, who must have been around his 30's, spoke in a thick British accent.

After a good deal of effort, the stone tablet was set on the sand covered floor, raising a heavy cloud of dust on impact, bathing must of the workers with it's grains of sand.

"Hey hey hey, I said careful! Bloody hell y'can't get good help nowadays. Okay clean her over, I'll go call the boss and tell him we found his baby" and O'Connell had in mind to go on and do so if he hadn't felt something out of the ordinary. Sure, in the desert you could hear the occasional caw of some vulture or even the scuttle of insects and scorpions. There was always something to take your mind off and with the group of Rashid running around drilling; there was hardly anytime where silence prevailed. That is until now.

Rick O'Connell turned around to face were his men and the Rashid were tending the door but instead of seeing them following his orders and cleaning up the ancient artifact, they were thrown all over the floor and they all looked dead. Their green veins were very visible on they're now stone grey skin.

"W-What in bloody—" but he never got to finish expressing his surprise because a cold hand had clamped over his neck, gripping tightly and stopping the flow of breath and even blood from going down. He started feeling his pulse start to quicken around his neck were strings of burning pain stretched like a spider's web all around the area were the hand was. There was a hissing sound and icy breath fell on his sweating face making him look up—into the most exotic crystalline fiery eyes he'd ever seen. And right before he could identify more features of this strange entity he felt the iciness wash over his body, bringing acid burning pain into what seemed like every nerve and vein in his entire body. In a matter of seconds, his body numbed, his vision clouded and he knew no more. The last thing his soul managed to hear was but the deadliest hiss of a serpent speaking in a strange language.

"_Net'jer__ a'nen_"


	2. Chapter 2

**I**t was one of those evenings were you are so tired you just want to lie in bed and let sleep claim you in a quick nap to refresh your energies. But of course, Rogue couldn't do that. She had to be stuck in the library with a kid that spouted more words in a few seconds than a hip hop rapper in an entire song. And the worst out of the entire situation, she never got tired. Never! In short words, she was about to jump in a moment.

"—and he was like, 'I hope she asks me' and I totally couldn't believe it. I mean Tyler Briggs has got to be one of the cutest boys in the entire town of Bayville. So I totally plan on taking Haley's advice. I'm going to ask him to the Sadie Hawkins' dance for next Friday. Ooh I'm so exited I can't so believe it. Oh wait what'am I going to wear? Oh this is serious; I got to wear something totally out of it if I want to make a good impression and all. I really like Tyler and I don't want to screw this up. Wait, maybe Amara could lend me something. I saw the cutest little skirt in her closet last night—"

"Jubilee, do ya ever quit with the motormouth?" asked an exasperated Rogue who's fingers were awfully tempted to pull out her hair as an act of relieving stress, but then decided on settling on her closed eyelids, rubbing the tiredness out of them.

"Well actually…the ideal world exists in a state of balance, right? So if somebody talks little, it tends to leave a big hole inna scheme of things, so someone's gotta talk a lot to make up for it, y'know?"

Rogue's hands slid down her face slowly, making her lower eyelids drag into a tired incredulous expression.

"Ah am so gonna ignore ya even spoke" then she seem to snapped out of it "Jubilee, we're here to help ya with your grades. Ah can't help but think Ah'm wasting mah time"

The Asian girl lowered her head in slight shame as the comment hit home.

"Rogue, I'm sorry is just that I get distracted easily and I can't understand most of this stuff. Maybe I'm just destined to suck eternally; I mean even my powers suck. All of you guys have some serious firepower, super strength or kick-ass moves and what do I get? A Fourth of July all-in-one special" the suddenly gloomy girl paused as she took a breath and stared at the yellow pencil in her hands.

"I can't help but think the professor made a mistake in recruiting me"

Rogue looked at the bitter young girl who was keeping herself busy by rolling her No. 2 pencil from one hand to the other. The words of the girl for once had a certain depth and seriousness to it all. Her usual cheery tone was all but gone, and turned into a sad thoughtful one.

Jubilee, uncomfortable by the long silence, lifted her face to look at her tutor, only to find her smirking in a smug manner.

"W-what?" she asked nervously.

"Nothing, just thinking maybeh Ah might be able t'show ya how much firepower, super strangth and kick-ass moves yo' powers can have. That is if ya manage to finish today's homework fast enough for meh to catch mahself a little nap"

Jubilee's eyes widen, her mouth open in a surprise-confused way, as her mind tried to process the proposition just given to her. Then her eyes shined and her mouth turned into a grin and she nodded enthusiastically while she reached over to unexpectedly hug the Gothic woman.

"Oh you're the best Rogue, if you teach me Wolvie's moves there's no way Bobby's going to laugh at me in training anymore. I so would show off Frosty the Snowdork, oh and then he'd see"

Rogue chuckled after getting off the sudden surprise of being hugged. The close contact made her a bit nervous at first but with the exited girls' words, her body had started to relax.

"Oh yeah, I gotta finish up homework to actually get to kick Bobby's ass. Better start fast"

To Rogue's amazement, Jubilee finally made an effort and actually understood her English Literature and Math homework. It was a start she would be proud to inform Xavier. Ever since Professor Xavier had informed her of Jubilee's unfortunate dyslexia, she had been assigned to tutor Jubilee every single evening after she'd pick up the Recruits after school. All in the goal to help Jubilee overcome her condition and prevail. Xavier knew she was a smart kid; she just needed a little push. And today was the first time she'd seen results of her arduous hours of having to go over something she thought she would never go over again. Homework.

But she knew now that it was only a matter of time before she would have her evenings free again. Sure she had sort off volunteered for the job but every time Xavier asked something out of her she just couldn't say no. She knew that one of the reasons the professor had selected her was to keep her occupied. Ever since she was forced to drop out of NYU, Professor Xavier had been trying to keep her busy with numerous small tasks just so she would have something to get her mind off of painful thoughts. Like hosting the recruits training sessions and even driving them to school even though most of them were old enough to do so themselves. And the last of her jobs, tutoring their favorite California girl so she might overcome a slight disadvantage. What could she say? All in a day of an X-man's work.

000 ROF 000

"What is it you've found out, Henry?"

*Well Charles, I am really not sure but in our most recent outing we heard a rumor about a strange accident that caused the death of a small group of men from an archeological expedition. Perhaps it might be the event that you've feared about*

"I'm not sure. How strange may I ask is this accident you talk about?"

*Let's just say, my good professor, men don't fall to the ground dead in a matter of moments. But do not worry Charles; it might be some sort of plague or decease they may have contracted while digging out the antiquities. It is possible a form of bacteria may have resided on the tomb, as an ancient booby trap perhaps. The Egyptians were very wary against tomb raiders and they might have wanted to protect the treasures buried in the tomb. But I might run a test or two on the bodies, if I'm allowed of course. If there's anything unusual I'll make sure to contact you as soon as possible*

"Good. I fear that problems over here may overwhelm me if this keeps up. Maybe knowing about something is far worse than being on the dark. Oh well, do not worry friend, I'm dealing with it. Rogue's been helping me with most of the institute's chores and the recruits. Without you, Ororo and Logan nor my X-men, I don't know how I could have gotten through if not with her help"

*You really care a lot for that girl Charles. You fight a lot when it comes to her well-being*

"I care for all my students as I would care for my own child. That is why I'm making sure none of them get hurt. But dealing with Rogue really makes me feel as if I really am doing something right, for you've seen, I feel like I am in debt to her. For letting her feel betrayed by her mother. For never really finding the obscure truth about her uncontrollable powers. For failing her. That is why knowing I have the knowledge to prevent her from getting hurt again pains me, for I know what's ahead and I'm doing everything in my power to stop it before it comes. And if I were to fail her this time, there might be no going back"

There was a lengthy silence in which the good doctor at the other side of the line took in the depth of the telepath's confession and then a sight was heard.

*I understand you Charles, but I can't help but think you are fighting a losing battle. Not that I have no faith in our young Rogue but it is said that destiny in itself can not be overwritten. You can't stop the flow of it for one way or another it will find a way to proceed as it should have been. As people say, if it's meant to happen…it will*

"Well Henry, some people call me a miracle worker. Even a legend, among the greatest minds of the world. A dreamer and achiever. If that's to be true then I intend to shoot for the moon, for if I miss, I may land among the stars"

*Sometimes I can't help but admire your positive outlook at life, Charles. Men like you are one in a million. If only there were more Charles Xavier's in this world maybe we would not have so many problems in finding a way to actually live together in harmony. I must leave you Charles for I'm afraid our dear Ororo has been delayed on her reconnaissance 'shopping' trip. As I promised, I will call if anything happens. If not, then next Friday*

"Goodbye old friend"

*Goodbye Charles*

There was a click and the speaker phone when dead with nothing but a dull beep playing. The professor sat behind his mahogany desk in his office. The students were recessing after eating dinner, so he had retired to his office to attend Henry McCoy's call. The fact was that Henry McCoy may have been wrong in his theory about 'a decease' for he knew well no decease known to date could kill grown men in such a short amount of time. And earlier, with Logan's call about some mysterious chemical shipping having been made by Power8's company leader, Guy Spear, to an occult organization that has yet to reveal it's name, Xavier's worry for the safety of his student and mutants in the world increased by a tenfold. He just couldn't bear it if the horrible visions he saw in Apocalypse's mind came true.

000 ROF 000

"Okay people, gather up. Unfortunately Logan's still not back from his trip an' y'guys have lost far too many battle sessions since he was the one that gave ya those. So yet again Ah have the unfortunate privilege of having ta see all ya horrible faces. The professor has assigned meh to take ovah fo' Logan for the time being. So since Ah'm in charge now, Ah'll take the liberty of changing the battle sessions to the regular training sessions given in t'morning since—"

Immediately there was an outburst interrupting Rogue's speech as groans of protest and annoyance were uttered out loud.

"Aw c'mon, not that self-defense crap! We get enough of it in the morning and now you take away our power sessions for that sissy stuff? Man we're mutants, we don't need self-defense, we need control for our powers and in order to do that we gotta _use them_ once in a while" Ray exclaimed in outrage while sparks danced around his forearms and hands.

"Sorry Rogue, just because _you_ need to focus on non-power defense because _your_ power doesn't really work unless you're in close contact doesn't mean all of us need, want or have to do so" added Roberto in that calming yet serious tone of his.

There were a couple of agreements as the recruits seem to unite as one on their decision. But one look from Rogue's face shut them up. No longer did she have that normal calm new Rogue face with the occasional smirk, but now her famous death glare was back along with a bit of a hidden snarl.

"Ya wanna be X-men? Then y'follow the X-men rules and one o' them states that every member must know at least some basic self-defense. Ah ain't doing this because Ah lahke to. Ah'm doing this 'cause the professor asked me to… and 'cause Ah really thought y'guys could do with some defense in this times" spat Rogue in an angered tone which hadn't been heard in the mansion for a long time.

There was a quick look of shame, guilt and embarrassment coming from the recruits but some of them disguised it in a second. One of them being Bobby who smiled slightly to cover up.

"Look Roguey, I know that the professor asked you to sort off take care of us an all, I mean you practically baby us the way your driving us to school and training us, tutoring us or *shudder* cooking for us. But 'Berto, Amara, Sam, Ray and I are seniors now and Rahne and Jubilee are going to be too next year. We are practically adults and all this taking care of us is really getting a bit annoying. You really don't have to worry about us or disappointing the Prof if we get in trouble. We are mutants with stinkin' powers so I think we are pretty much at the advantage"

Amara, Ray and Roberto seemed to agree with the Iceman while Sam, Jubilee and Jamie were looking slightly nervous and undecided by Bobby's sudden outburst. All Rogue could do was look at them with a stony stare, her face masked and cleaned out of all emotion so the recruits couldn't really tell what exactly the Goth was thinking.

"Fine" replied curtly Rogue after a tense moment of silence. "Fine. Y'all are big boys and girls now and y'should be able to tell what's right and what's wrong. If y'all want it so bad then the sessions are canceled. All of them. So have fun being your grown up wise selves, Ah'll just be in the Gym"

The silent astounded teenagers watched as the brooding X-woman walked calmly out of the danger room, only to stop at the entrance and turn. Most of them were expecting the worst as they sucked in their breath. Rogue could be really scary if she wanted to.

"Oh one last thing. If the time comes where y'all are in a tight spot an' y'all ain't able t'rely on ya powers, mark mah words, you're gonna regret not taking some 'self-defense crap' and Ah'm certainly not going ta save ya asses outta that" She looked at them intensely for a moment before she turned around and walked away with a "Have fun" and two claps of the hands.

In a matter of seconds the danger room's machinery activated itself and the shocked students were forced to run and dodge quickly out of harm's way, for a sudden wave of simulation robots started pouncing on them immediately.

In the corridor leading towards the elevators, yelps and screams of fright resonated throughout the metal walls as a smirking Rogue walked her way calmly towards one of the elevators.

000 ROF 000

In the far corners of Hudson Canyon, the calm sound of the running waters of the river dominated most of the activity at the moment, with a few cawings of the passing crows and the flipper-flap of some jumping fish. It was a complete and desolate place were anything could pass by unnoticed. And right now, something out of the ordinary was certainly passing by unnoticed.

Sparks of energy started softly 'sizzling' from out of nowhere. At first it wasn't something big and tumultuous. Hardly noticeable, until the sparks that sizzled in mid-air of a clearing started to grow into two small marbles of white-blue energy which grew in size every second until the bottom of two 5 feet high orbs were burning off a wide arc in the soil. The energy of both orbs reverberated around the solid rock and soil of the canyon, starting to fizzle and dim by the second until they were no more. Instead, in the two big holes left by the energy orbs, there were two cloaked figures kneeling upon the ground. Their dark long cloaks draped around the ground besides them and billowed slightly because of the wind.

After a few seconds of no sounds and no movement alone, one of the figures started twitching, followed then by the other.

"Ar' we dead o' did we made it?" asked one of the figures

"Of course we made it fool. We're in one piece. Got to hand it to that old idiot, he sure knows his way around the impossible" said the other figure as it raised it's hand, pulling the long dark sleeve back and revealing a shiny metallic bracelet with a counter and countless machinery and bottoms. It had a certain advance look to it, yet strange as to what's its use was.

"Well dis ol' fool is glad it worked. Otherwise we'd be but tiny particles in-what he called it?-the matrix o' time?" asked the tallest figure.

"The Axis of Time idiot and just feel lucky I wasn't tempted to kick you out of course on our way here" spat the other figure in a sultry female voice.

"Now why woul' y'do dat? What woul' y'do all alone here without dis ol' fool?" responded the amused male voice.

"Trust me, a lot. Now enough of this foolishness, we have a mission to accomplish and the sooner we do it the better the fate of this waste of a planet is" then stopped looking at the small computer-armlet in her arm. Several undistinguishable symbols and energy bars flashed through the screen as she pressed button after button, seemingly looking for something. _"Its _here. Computer says there's a slit in the veil, it must have been it. That's why were able to pass more smoothly. If not we would have been suffering the side effects"

"What were dose suppose t'be?"

"Memory loss, nausea, diarrhea among the lot" replied the female while still sorting through the computer.

"Ouch, remin' me not t'anger de—"

"Shut up" interrupted the sharp female voice "It's already started so we better hurry. Stretch your legs idiot; we're going on a long hike"

000 ROF 000

The hard rhythmic thumps of fists hitting a boxing bag resonated around the elaborated large Gym of the Xavier's institute. Inside it, the institute's gothic southerner was found slamming fist after fist on the long boxing bag, making it swing in different directions. Once in a while a twirled kick or two broke of the routine dance of her fists. A stern concentrated expression was set on her face as she calculated every single blow, keeping her mind occupied at all times. Tiring, but that was exactly what she wanted.

She had dreamt differently last night. Kitty would have seen it as a good sign since the weird non-remembering dream that plagued her the past month was extremely worrisome to Kitty and that in her opinion shouldn't be kept from the professor. Something the valley girl kept repeating to her over and over in every one of her phone calls which she was now scarcely receiving. The fact bothered her even if Kitty said that she was overwhelmed by homework and studies at the moment. Kitty's phone calls were what kept her calm these past few days, ever since the teenage revolt.

The thought made her lash out at the 'Everlast' black bag with a little more strength. She tried shaking the thought off to calm down but the previous one came and occupied its space. She saw a flash of blonde hair. A swift smile while laughing with a few friends. And last of the sudden visions, a pair of dazzling blue eyes, the sparkles in them flashing with self-confidence and enthusiasm. Then a shadow passed over them, dulling their shine. There was a gasp followed by a train ride of screams and visions as she remembered her dream. There was a lot of light shooting here and there, destroying everything in its path. People running. A numbed body. The screams.

Suddenly everything faded and she found herself lying on the smooth floor of the institute's gym, bathed in sweat and heaving in breaths like crazy. She turned her suddenly tired head to her side and found that the boxing bag had come unhitched from its clasp and was now laying a few feet besides her, a tear on its seam making the sand spill out unto the floor.

_Oh great, now how am Ah goin' t'explain that to the professor._

The sound of close footsteps broke her out of the thought as a dubious face loomed over her, shadowing her own.

"Erm, Rogue are you alright?" the worried voice of Jubilation Lee filtered in her ears.

"Ah'm fine" Rogue said while she started picking herself up with Jubilee's help. "What are ya doin' here? Shouldn't y'be getting ready for that dance of yours?"

"Oh don't worry 'bout that. I still have 2 and a half hour to prepare which is just enough to pamper myself into the sexiest gal at the dance. Oh my gosh, I still can't believe I'm going to the dance with Tyler. Is like a dream come true. He's a sexy, cute and smart boy who doesn't mind I'm a mutant. I don't even know why Bobby doesn't like him because he's such a wonderful person and he's on the football team and—"

"Jubilee, why are ya here?" interrupted Rogue when she noticed the girl had yet again gotten carried away in her fantasy world.

"Oh, yeah, yes. Erm the professor sent me to look for you. Says he wanna talk to you"

"Ugh Ah hope is not another chore. It's mah free day an' without ya brats about, Ah intended to use it well"

"Yeah, I can just see you dancing naked in the hallways the minute we leave the mansion with maybe Bobby's diaries as your inspirational tools?"

Rogue raised an eyebrow at her assumption but then scrunched up her face into a look of puzzlement.

"Popsicle keeps diaries?" asked Rogue in an incredulous voice.

"Well you can raid his room tonight and find out"

Rogue thought about it for a moment but then shook her head in negation.

"Nah, wouldn't wanna find some weird gunk stuck in mah boots the next morning. Yo, Jubilee, tell the professor Ah'll be there after mah shower"

"Sure thing Boss" said Jubilee in a mock serious voice, saluting Rogue and skipping out of the Gym's wide doors.

Rogue could only shake her head and chuckle at the teenager's antics as she grabbed her towel and started wiping her brow while making her way towards the shower room. The shower only took her some 15 minutes, coming out with a towel wrapped around her freshly wet body. Since the professor was waiting for her and she didn't want to keep him waiting longer, she grabbed a pair of Logan's jeans which she found in his locker along with one of his black shirts which she tied around her back so it didn't fall down to her thighs. Along with her gym sneakers and the worn leather jacket she brought everywhere, she made her way up towards the professor's office. Just as she was about to knock she stopped herself from doing so, a mischievous smirk made its way up her face. She made a show of raising her hand ever so slowly and taking the longest time ever to prepare to knock a door.

_«Rogue you can come in you know»_

The telepathic message made her jump but at the same time smirk at the amusement and slight impatience in the professor's voice. And just as she thought, when she opened the door the professors' face was decorated with a smile. She greeted him and sat down in one of the wooden chairs in front of his desk. The professor kept smiling at her and after a lapse of time in silence and the way the smile turned into a slightly pleading one she started to get suspicious.

"Rogue—he paused— I need you to do me a favor"

Realization flooded her mind.

"Oh no professor, Ah thought this was mah free day, an' ya already told Bobby he could drive them an' all. Ah don't mind if he takes mah car. That bus s'probably more school property than mahne an'—"

"I know is your free day and I know I promised Mr. Drake that he could drive the van this time but…erm…you see…" and to Rogue's amazement, the professor was at a lost for words. "I've noticed Ms. Aquilla's and Ms. Lee's choice of wardrobe earlier in the day and it occurred to me that we should take precautions. I would have send Logan but as you know he is still away on business and I myself am waiting for an important phone call from Ororo and Henry. They haven't been in contact lately and last time we talked they agreed on reporting their findings today" He took a deep breath and gazed almost pleadingly at her eyes. "Please Rogue, this time I really need you to 'chaperone', I just can't explain to you right now why. I'll make sure to repay you later" he finished, gazing at her and waiting for an answer.

Rogue had never seen the professor like this. Although he tried to hide it, she could still see behind his calm mask. She was confused, for the professor looked as if he were a tied man. As if he wanted to go himself yet still knew he couldn't because of other important matters. He looked weighted.

A sigh escaped through her lips as she found herself nodding and accepting the task.

_Well so much for dancing naked._

And she had to excuse herself quickly because unfortunately she must have projected her last thought because Xavier was looking at her with a bemused and slightly bewildered face. Ugh she was going to kill Jubilee for putting the stupid thought in her mind. Or maybe she'd made her pay via a gruesome Danger Room session. After all she and Jamie were the only ones that came back to apologize after the revolt and pleaded she gave them the lessons. From Jamie she wouldn't have questioned it, she knew he was really dedicated when it came to the X-men schedule but Jubilee's attitude surprised her. Rogue guessed she really was serious about the improving her powers thing. And boy had she made progress in a short time.

Rogue mentally winced at remembering Jubilee's last stunt in their latest session. Sure she got to see the product of their work but since then the Asian girl had become quite nervous about her powers.

_I wouldn't blame her after_ **that** _day. My ribs still hurt._

"Tell me is not truth?!" shouted an exasperated voice once Rogue reached the dinning room.

"Tell ya what's not truth?" calmly responded Rogue to a wide eyed Amara who was dressed in a long floral skirt that almost reached her ankles, along with a white peasant shirt, some beaded necklaces and a weird loose golden chain around her hips as a belt. Her long brown locks were up in a loose pony tail with an orange headband holding back her bangs.

Rogue frowned as she went to serve herself some of yesterdays leftover. She looked like a Gypsy if Rogue could say so. Yet still as weird as she saw the outfit she couldn't find it the least bit indecent. She knew Amara was a wild girl sometimes but still, she knew how a lady, as the girl always said, behaved. Yet still, what was it that disturbed the professor?

"Hello Rogue, are you just going to stand there and stare?"

"Ah'm sorry. What was it you said?"

"If it's true that the professor once again sent you off as our baby sitter?"

"Well, yeah" responded calmly the southern girl while shoving a bowl of Turducken and rice in the microwave and setting up the time.

"It's true?! Ugh I can't believe it! His treating us like little kids! You guys got to go **alone** to your dance and what do we get? The kiddy treatment. I can't believe he even told Bobby he could drive this time and then went around and did this"

"Amara, the professor was worried about y'all. Ah'm sure he's sorry about it but he can't help it if he's worried. He considers you guys as his own sons and daughters"

Amara looked for a moment distraught at the sudden comment but then, after a while she let out a shaky sigh, calming herself. Just when she was about to respond Sam entered the kitchen followed in a second by a pampered Jamie. Sam was sporting a pair of brown pants along with a dark blue dress shirt. His almost shoulder length hair was combed and the patch in his chin was for once trimmed. Meanwhile Jaime was wearing a dark green buttoned shirt with the two top buttons off. His black pants, designer shoes and dark trench coat completed the look.

"So is't true?" asked the southern boy, taking a seat in the dinning table along with Jaime.

"Yeah, it's true" answered Amara in a tired defeated voice.

Sam raised his eyes at her answer and tone of voice.

"Wow, you're letting it pass by, that's a suhrprise" replied the blonde haired boy.

He was then rewarded by a 'royal' dead glare as Bobby calls them. The boy squirmed nervously in his seat and turned to look at the newly turned on T.V.

"So…" started Rogue in a coy voice "…Who are da lucky ladies who get ta dance with such handsome gentlemen as yourselves?"

Both Jaime and Sam blushed at the compliment, unable to pronounce a coherent word to answer. Then the sound of the door opening and a boisterous voice answering made them turn towards the newcomer.

"Well Sam there is going out with our very own earth princess while Jaime boy actually managed to snatch a hottie from the cheerleading team"

Robert Drake stood leaning against the kitchen door, sporting a black and blue buttoned shirt much like Jaime's along with a set of pressed black pants and a pair of blue tinted sunglasses.

"Bobby!" screamed Amara while lunging at him "It was supposed to be a secret!"

While Bobby tried evading the angered fiery girl, Rogue looked at Jamie who had his head down in embarrassment.

"Wow" she stated amazed "Who's da girl?"

Jaime looked at her then looked back at the table, a nervous smile planted in her face.

"Well…erm…you see…she's…erm—"

"Her name's Sheila Desoto and can you believe it, head cheerleader. Everybody knew Jaime had been pining after her and Sheila sort of secretly liked him so when she heard Jaime dumped you, she went out and asked him to the dance. That was the day he came skipping down the door like a little girl"

"Hey, I was not"

"Yes you were" taunted Bobby while rummaging around the fridge.

"Oh shut up Drake, you don't even have a date. I don't know why you are even coming" snapped Amara curtly.

"I'm coming because I gotta keep an eye on our resident ditz, Miss Jubilation Lee and her jerk of a date. Besides, didn't you hear, Rogue's my date of the evening"

At the moment Rogue was drinking some orange juice which she proceeded to spit out as soon as Bobby finished.

"Ah'm yer what?! Says who?!"

"Says the professor. Since I don't get to drive, and I 'accidently' let it slip that now I was dateless _and_ car less the professor then said you would be happy to accompany me to the dance as a way to make it up.

Rogue's jaw almost hit the floor in disbelief. The professor did what?! She couldn't believe it, first her free day and now this?! She was half-tempted to project an image of a grotesquely fat naked woman so that no telepath inside the mansion could miss it, but decided not to, out of pity for the poor professor. Maybe he didn't mean to actually put her in this predicament.

"Well, since by the time Jubilee is actually ready to come down and join us I could nap, watch some T.V. and kill time staring at my hand; I better take advantage of said time and snack on something. The dance's food is probably crap" Bobby commented while fetching out some frozen pizza, and making his way towards the beeping Microwave. "Watcha eating Roguey-Ro?"

"Yesterdays leftovers and that's Rogue to ya"

There was a sudden silence as Bobby gulped and looked nervously at the bowl of Southern food she had extracted from the Microwave.

"Yesterdays leftover as in the turducken you made for dinner?" asked Bobby in a squeak

Rogue didn't seem to notice said squeak and went to sit at the table with her heated food.

"Yeah, mah turducken. There's whole lot in the fridge. Somehow Ah think Ah overdid it for there to be so much left" she mussed to herself.

The recruits looked at each other, laughing and agreeing in a nervous matter. They all knew that even though she had many talents, culinary skills were not among them.

In other words, her cooking sucked.

"Nah Rogue, don't worry. I think am not hungry anymore"

"Suit yourself" she replied while digging in on the over greased meat. The recruits didn't know how she could do it. They all managed to evade her cooking one way or another, having had enough experience at doing so with Kitty's own experimental dishes. It's like the saying said, out of the frying pan and into the fire. And they sure felt their arteries burn the first time they tasted her fried chicken. Even Amara had experience the burning feeling, and she spent most of her time engulfed in flames!

By the time Jubilee actually made her entrance, it was already 7:30pm and Rogue was doing the dishes while the recruits watched some late reruns of "Blood Fest".

"I don't understand how you guys can find _that_ entertaining" commented Amara just before Jubilee entered the kitchen dressed in a pale yellow tight shiny dress that barely came down to her knees along with knee-high white shiny boots, numerous gold bracelets and her famous golden loop earrings. Her hair was up in a weird fusion of a bun and a lot of satin curls around it and her silver eye shadow practically sparkled the whole room.

"So, how do I look?" she asked as she twirled around to show off her outfit.

"Ya look…good" answered Rogue while Amara, Sam and Jaime agreed at the same time.

"Dear god, you look like a hooker"

Jubilee turned a simmering death glare towards the Iceman who was looking at her in disbelief.

"Shut up Bobby, nobody asked for your opinion" snapped the girl.

"Actually you just—"

"C'mon guys let's go. We're going to be late" interrupted Jubilee and then marched out towards the foyer.

"Y'had ta open ya mouth" muttered Sam as they made their way out.

"Hey, is the truth. If she goes out like that, that jerk Briggs is bound to take advantage of her and I'm going to be there to say 'I told you so'…and slam my fist in Briggs' face"

"Enough with da testosterone boys an' get in t'car. Ah want this to be over fast" said Rogue as she hurried them to the garage.

000 ROF 000

Rogue was in hell. Until now she had to endure half an hour of Jubilee's awfully long talk about this new product she bought just for the dance, which closed up her pores so that her skin looked younger and softer. Younger and softer?! She's 17 years old! She wasn't going to have old skin for another 10 or 15 years!

Later it was Amara wondering what Rahne and Roberto were doing and why Ray didn't want to come to the dance. (_Lousy jerks didn't even warn meh they were ditching_). Then there was Bobby's constant taunting about Taylor Briggs being a jerk that was taking advantage out of Jubilee lack of brain cells. And as awaited, Jubilee lashed out at Bobby with Amara as her support while poor Sam tried to established peace. And let's not forget the grinning Jamie in the passenger seat besides her, snickering every time Bobby's screams resonated throughout the Toyota van which was lighted with rogue fireworks and sparkles. One of them even scorched her seat-belt buckle! Her shiny new Toyota buckle!! That's why when Rogue saw the gates that led towards Bayville High she pressed the pedal harder in order to free herself from the load.

"We're here. Now get out!"

The 5 recruits scrambled out at the sound of the Goth's venom voice. That is, all but Bobby Drake who remained brooding in his seat with his face down in his hand. Rogue gave him a curious glance but then went off to see that the recruits made it to the doors.

She saw Amara and Sam walk in, hand-in-hand while Jaime went up and met up with a long haired brunette in a sparkling silver dress, and in the most charming way, bow gracefully while kissing her hand and later taking off a rose from his front pocket and offering it to the now blushing girl. Rogue smiled at the gesture. Sometimes Jaime could be the most charming boyfriend ever. And with those bits of facial hair at the bottom of his chin, the messy spiked hairstyle he had adopted and that bellowing trench coat, he truly looked…good.

_Good or rather sexy_

She couldn't believe the thought even crossed her mind. She shook her head to drive it away while she concentrated on Jubilee who was standing waiting at the main school doors. Her date was running late.

Rogue decided to stay by the van with Bobby, who didn't seem to be the least bit interested in going inside. His stare was directed at the waiting Jubilee and her surroundings.

"Ya worry far too much. She's gonna be alright, she's a big girl…and a mutant so that makes her as good as safe" she added, in reference towards his speech that day in the last training session.

Bobby remained in silence, looking around as if scouting for someone. Then he sat on the floor of the van with his legs hanging out of the door and looked up at the standing Rogue. While the recruits were all primly dress for the event, Rogue had decided to remain with Logan's jeans but replaced his baggy shirt with one off her own, without forgetting to add her infamous leather jacket which was there to cover her bare arms. The jacket had been a gift from Logan himself the Christmas after Apocalypse. Since then, there was no-one who dared separate her from it.

"I'm sorry…about the thing in the Danger Room you know. I was so busy worrying about stuff I forgot all about it. And what with you ignoring all of us for a short term of time, I…I'm just sorry"

Rogue looked at the 18 year old boy with a stern look. She remembered the first few days after the revolt. She had outright ignored everyone except Jubilee and Jaime. Bobby and Ray were the most shunned. If it wasn't for one of Kitty's calls and her animate advice to stop her actions, she wouldn't have reconsidered and stopped ignoring them. Kitty had gotten her hard when she mentioned that their actions reminded her of Rogue herself in her rebel years. Since then she had forgiven them, in her mind. But now Bobby was asking for her forgiveness, just to confirm if he really was forgiven.

Rogue's stern features turned into a smile and she accepted Bobby's apology. Just then a sports car pulled up a few meters away from them, carrying a group of teenage boys.

"Oh great, is Matthews and Briggs" muttered Bobby hatefully.

The sandy haired boy and the black haired boy both made their way, along with their colleagues, towards the open school doors. Jubilee greeted Tyler with a smile while he placed his arm around her waist to drive her inside.

"So that's da famous Tyler Briggs. Not bad. Got that whole dumb jock aura but still not bad"

"Rogue he's bad news. It is rumored that his father is a member of the 'FOH' plus he hangs out with Josh Matthews who's an obvious mutant hater"

"Josh Matthews? Isn't that t'boy Jaime said was pining after meh?"

"Well, he's a total horndog too. Keeps saying he could have you jumping him anytime he wants"

"Okay, Ah hate 'im"

"Well now you see why I'm so worried that klutz is going to get herself in trouble, as always" Bobby said as he raised himself up and started walking towards the main doors.

"Ah wouldn't take so much credit out o' Jubilee. She may act sometimes lahke she doesn't know a thing in da world but she's very smart and strong. She managed t'overcome her dyslexia an' deal with it just by sheer will"

"Yeah but sheer will isn't going to save her out of Briggs dirty hands"

"Well how's about Ah tell ya she actually wiped mah sorry ass across the Danger Room floor, literally"

Bobby stopped his strides to drop his jaw and look at the girl in disbelief. But later composed himself and looked up smiling.

"Yeah? Well that's good to hear. Although you ain't such a big shot anyway, I mean I could take you down without even breaking a sweat" he falsely bragged much to Rogue's amusement "Well maybe you're right. Maybe I don't have to worry so much"

Bobby turned back to the school and kept walking.

"Erm, Bobby, then where are ya goin'?"

"Well there's a perfectly good party inside this building and you know me Roguey, I'm not one to miss 'em. Now come along, your suppose to be my date"

All Rogue could do was follow him like a lost puppy with a dumbfounded look.

000 ROF 000

Besides getting a brief flashback to what their Sadie Hawkins Dance ended up like, Rogue spent most of the time by the punch bowl (which was probably spiked) or chatting with Bobby. They were both hidden by a corner in watching mode. Rogue would mostly look out a little then walk back to the snack bar to take advantage of the free food, but Bobby dedicated most of the dance on skulking and watching Tyler and Jubilee like a hawk. After spending an hour and a half watching him watch Jubilee, Rogue decided that enough was enough.

"Hey there Popsicle" she greeted

"Hey" his eyes still watching Tyler which to her opinion was actually being decent.

"You know what?" she started.

"What?"

"Ya remin' meh o' someone right now—she made a show of straining for memory— someone Ah know, let's see…an' looked exactly lahke ya right now at this very same dance"

Bobby got curious and removed his eyes from the couple dancing far away in the gym floor.

"Who?" he asked curiously now.

"Well, mah memory is a bit fuzzy but…for a moment there ya looked lahke Scotty boy when Jean was with Duncan"

"What?! Me look like stiff-ass? Not in a million years; and besides what are you implying? Scott was obviously in jealous mode, and I'm most certainly not jealous of that jerk and Jubes"

"Suuuure" smiled Rogue.

"I'm serious! The fact is that Jubes' bubble gum head stops her from noticing when people just want to get in her pants, thus I gotta be there to make sure she doesn't do something stupid and get herself in trouble"

"Uh-huh and why's it gotta be ya?"

"Hey, someone's gotta" he shrugged and took another sip of his punch.

Rogue decided to leave it off there. The boy was as stubborn as a rock. Since there wasn't anything fun to do she had decided to sprint back to the car and listen to the radio maybe. But just when she was turning towards the door, Bobby grabbed her arm.

"Hey, How's about we dance, haven't been much of a date really" he proposed.

"No, don't worry Ah don't mi—" but she was cut off by a grinning Bobby who just ignored her pleas and hauled her to the dancing floor.

Rogue still felt a little uncomfortable when it came to dancing, even though Logan had helped her relax a little when in close contact with people. And although Bobby knew her and the dangers of dancing with her, she still was careful of going a foot too near to him. Bobby noticed that but he didn't mind. They danced for a period of about three songs before Bobby suddenly stopped.

"Shit"

"What's wrong? Did Ah touch ya? Ah'm sorry Ah didn't notice—" She stopped when Bobby shushed her.

"No, it's not you. Its Jubes, she's gone. And so are Amara and Sam"

Rogue looked around the dance floor and found that only Jaime was present inside the Gym, leaning by the punch bowl with Sheila, confirming Bobby's words.

"C'mon let's look outside" she urged him and walked to the exit.

Once they were outside they found a few students spread around the grounds, talking here and there. Some of them hidden behind bushes doing more than talking. But still, there were no recruits.

"They are not here" said Rogue more to herself than to Bobby.

Bobby looked around frustrated then started sprinting towards the parking lot, Rogue following him at his heels. Most of the parking lot was empty since there really weren't any benches to sit on, plus it was dark. But as they progressed they found out the parking lot wasn't so empty after all.

"Hey dude that's our car! Stop it!" Rogue heard Sam's voice.

She ran towards were her van was parked to find what seemed to be half the football team crowding around the dark blue Toyota van with Sam, Amara and a sniffling Jubilee in her arms, a few feet behind them. There was a sandy haired boy scraping a switchblade all along the left side of the van. The screeching sound coming out of the damaged metal made her and Bobby cringe.

"Well it's only fair after that mutie slut ruined my fellow friend's jacket. They come awfully pricey these days" replied the boy who she now recognized as the Matthews boy.

"Well so d'cars ya know" she spoke up, making everybody turn their heads towards her and Bobby.

"What's goin' on here?" she asked.

"Rogue, thank god. They were about to hurt Jubilee" said Amara holding onto the shivering sniffling girl tightly.

"Yeah, Briggs tried t'make a move on her, but Jubes spilled her punch on him and blew up his jacket" added Sam exited.

"Then we tried taking her to the van but they followed us" continued Amara glaring at the smirking team.

"Whoa boys, what do we have here? Madrox's southern girl" commented Josh as he walked up to them, then noticed Bobby close behind her. "Or maybe Drake's? Knew Madrox couldn't pull off such a hotti—he paused scrutinizing her face— wait a minute…I know you. You're that junior Goth chick, the untouchable one. My brother told me about you. Maaan did you grow up. Who would have thought?"

Rogue scrunched up her face at the young man's comment.

"Do Ah know ya?"

"Nope. But maybe you remember my brother, Duncan. You know, the guy one of you muties slammed in jail? Thought so" he said when realization dawned in her face.

"Hey man, that bitch screwed up my brand new jacket, I want to see some blood" spoke up a black haired boy, Taylor Briggs as he prepared to lunge at Jubilee.

Out of nowhere Bobby's fist came and slammed into Briggs' jaw, snapping his head to the right and making him stumble sideways. The boy was stunned for a moment but composed himself in a matter of seconds and before his fist could make contact with Bobby's stomach, Rogue's gloved hand stopped its course, twisting it to his back.

"Now everybody calm down! Ah don't want any fights in mah presence. Sam go look for Jaime, we're leavin'"

Sam nodded and left in a sprint towards the school.

"Amara, Jubilee, Bobby. In t'car, now"

"But Rogue—" complained in anger Bobby before being interrupted by her.

"Bobby Ah don't have time for this. Get in the car"

Bobby clenched his fist about to retort but thought better and sighted, mounting the car yet still, leaving the door open as to be ready to jump out at any moment.

"Now as for y'guys, Ah want y'all to git yer asses outta here before Ah change mah mind an' trample y'all"

Josh smirked and started laughing making the rest of the boys, except Tyler, laugh in amusement with him.

"Little lady thinks she got game" he mocked while his buddies laughed it off.

Rogue only smirked and held on Tyler in a tighter grip. Just then Sam, Jaime, Sheila and some of her friends ran towards them. Rogue signaled Sam to take Jaime inside the van and he nodded. Once she made sure they were all inside, she smiled sweetly at the group of boys and shoved Briggs towards them.

"Pleasure meeting y'all" she said as she made her way towards the driver's door, frowning at the damage. But a hand in her shoulder stopped her progress, making her roll her eyes and sight.

"Wait a minute darling, this meeting is not over until I say so" spoke Josh in a syrupy voice.

"Why d'y'all have t'learn this the hard way"

And before Josh could make a move, her gloved hand had already grabbed his and flipped him hard against his peers who weren't too quick to dodge and fell down against his weight. The remaining ones standing made their way to attack her, only to meet up with her agility and most of all, the sole of her sneakers. Each and everyone that approached her, fists held up high, never got a hit in because of her constant ducking and dodging, ending up in the floor in a matter of seconds with only a few pushes and shoves.

One particular huge bulk of muscle, who must have been one of the defensive ends of the team, came at her from behind, ready to tackle her to the ground. With a graceful back flip, her hands landed on his broad shoulders. Making use of the momentum and his slightly crouched position, she pushed down hard with both her hands and flipped off of him, landing in a perfect crouch with enough time to see his flailing out-of-balance huge body colliding with Josh's sports car. His knocked-out body slid down the metal of the driver's door, letting everyone see the huge dent in it.

She smirked "Guess now we're even" and she yet again made her way towards her van. Her hand already on the door handle when she heard his shuffling, non-subtle footsteps. A frown covered her face and without even bothering to look, with a quick snap of her fist, she heard the sound of cartilage snapping followed by a pained howl and lots of cussing.

"Uu F'kinn bshh! Mww nobbe!"

"About time it happened Matthews" remarked suddenly Sheila Desoto whose friends were trying hard not to laugh at the crawling quarterback with his bloody hands over his nose.

Rogue smiled at the girl, noticing what Jaime saw in her. Sure at first her impressions of her weren't so high but she guessed she must have been wrong. Sheila Desoto didn't seem like the other people in Bayville High. She was different. She was someone who didn't just go with the flow. The girl had attitude and that was all that mattered. At least in her book.

She gave one last look at the crumpled jocks, a thanking smile to Sheila and then proceeded to mount the van. Inside, there was only silence from the recruits as they occupied themselves with sliding the doors close and buckling up. In her case, she had to practically smack the seat belt buckle a few times before the metal key went in and _stayed_ in. Jubilee's earlier rogue 'paf' had really screwed up its mechanism and by the rattling sound it made when she droved the car out of the school she knew she was going to have to report this to the professor. Let's not forget that maybe she wasn't probably allowed on the school grounds anymore. And then there was Jubilee using her powers against a student. Lucky that jacket was _all_ she blew up. Still, the School board won't probably care the why's behind the event so Xavier Institute students were possibly going to get expelled as soon as the adored football team complained.

_Well that's just great._

"I'm sorry Rogue. For using my powers even though we agreed—"

"Don't sweat it, dat jerk had it comin'" Rogue interrupted the poor girl before she could blame herself more.

The sky was at its darkest now as she drove down an empty calm street, the silence outside only amplifying the one inside. Then Jubilee spoke up in a sad tone.

"Guess Bobby was right. Now matter what, people are never going to accept us. Especially someone like Tyler"

"Jubes, I didn't mean it like that. Tyler is just a jerk by nature" replied Bobby

"Yeah, haven't you heard the professor? There's still good people out there, we just have to find them and make everybody see we can all coexist in harmony" continued Amara as she soothed the Asian girl, who was seated by one of the right windows, her eyes watching distantly the numerous trees bordering the road pass by.

"Yup, take a look at that Sheila girl. She's nice ya know Jaime"

Jaime blushed at Rogue's comment and ducked his head as he mumbled a 'thanks'.

"But then again ya dumped me fo' her. Ah should be feelin' pretty down t'find that out"

There was a snicker coming from Bobby while smiles plastered themselves on Jubilee's and Amara's faces. Sam was looking to the back so one couldn't really see his expression. But all Jamie could do was blush a deeper scarlet and feebly try to apologize.

"Hey, don't worry about it. Ah was only kidding. Ah'm just glad ya found someone decent. The professor would be proud of how ya socialized with others. Heck, ya had me swooning for a sec with all that charm y'were expelling"

"He did?!" suddenly shouted Bobby looking at her face through the mirror for answers.

Her eyebrows shot up at the sudden question but she didn't had a chance to answer because just then Sam opened his mouth for the first time since they drove out of school.

"Err, Rogue, Ah think we have some company"

And to confirm his statement, the sound of several bikes resonated around the empty quiet road, the sputtering roar of their exhaust pipe getting closer by the second. Behind the set of 3 bikes came the rumble of an engine that belonged to a sleek golden Jaguar XK which was zooming through the road.

Upon closer inspection she noticed that the golden jaguar was non-other than a certain jock's sports car. It seems that Josh was a little resentful towards his embarrassing defeat on the parking lot and decided to bring a few of his buddies on a wild chase after them. She was seriously not in the mood for a street race. She pressed on the gas pedal all the while knowing that it was impossible for this bulk-of-a-car to outrun 3 PC Bikes and a Jaguar, in a straight road to say more. She was going to have to hope the teenagers didn't do anything rash.

The 3 blue bikes opened up to let the golden sports car zoom past them and make its way towards the left side of the van. Rogue considered getting on the left rail of the road and block the car but then held herself. She didn't want to start something if it could be avoided altogether. She frowned as the thought that spending far too much time with the professor was really getting on her rebel attitude. She shook the thought aside and turned her head to the side to face the smirking faces of Tyler Briggs and Josh Matthews. Two rolled bloody papers were sticking out of the last's purple and disfigured nose. The bruise looked painful yet still it didn't seem to change the sadistic grin that made its way up the 18 year old' face.

"Hi. Didn't Ah kick yo' ass some 15 minutes ago?"

"Well tha' depen's on the way you look a' it" spat Josh then grinned at his driving partner who snickered as if the boy had said a good joke. "You see, from my poin' of view, our meetin' wasn'over" and as he finished, Tyler brought the car far too close for the comfort of Rogue.

"Whaddoyou want Matthews?" shouted an angered Bobby who was now sitting on the passenger's seat. A scowl made its way to his face as the sandy haired boy in front of him laughed in his face, backed up by his buddy.

"What'sematter Drake, already pissin' your pan's? My bhuddies and I jush came to talk" he smirked as two of the bikes drove in front and besides the other side of the van while the third one tailed them, making sure to cover every exit it may have. "How's about you guys pull over and we sehttle our score?"

"No thank ya, hun. Ah'm really tired so excuse me if Ah just decline" Rogue threw them a confident smile and pressed the gas pedal to the max. The sudden lurch the van made had its effect, as the bike in front swerved to the side to avoid being run over. Rogue narrowed her eyes at the rearview mirror, watching the reflection of the 4 vehicles try and catch up. The only logical exit she saw to this kind of situation was of course, lose your enemy. While she certainly had the driving capacity, a Toyota Hiace van was no match against a Jaguar XK, much less if the road they were in right now would go on straight for a few long miles.

"Rogue, we have to use our powers. This hunk of crap won't hold much against his car"

Rogue seemed to hesitate on her answer as she concentrated on blocking the bikes every time they tried to sidle up to the van while keeping a wary eye on the car which she had the distinct suspicion Josh wanted to grind against hers. Probably blame her for the damages later.

"Bobby, Ah can't let ya. Ya know d'professor doesn't like it"

"Ah think Bobby's right, if we don't do something then we'd be sitting ducks" Sam agreed while keeping a look out at the back.

"We won't do anything serious; I can just slow them down by creating ice patches. That way they would have to be dodging constantly and we could gain some road. And if they still get close, Amara and Jubes can scare them away with a little fire and lights display"

A determined nod from the Brazilian girl confirmed she was up to it. Meanwhile Jubilee seemed distant, uncertain about her decision. But one hard look from Rogue made up her mind.

"Guys—"

"Fahne, just don't over do it, an' leave Jubilee out of this. She had enough excitement for the night"

The triumphant grins that ran up Amara's and Bobby's face said they really didn't mind that much, as long as they got to use their powers. Jamie decided to remain neutral since he himself wasn't so sure about this crazy plan.

"Iceman! Incoming bike by yo'r side!" yelled Sam as he went into X-men mission mode, keeping a look out since his powers weren't good in this kind of situation.

"Copy that" answered in a mock the grinning boy as he shot spurts of ice at the road in front of the bike, forcing it to hit the brakes and swerved out of harm's way.

"Amara, two boogies, all yours" yelled a now amused Sam.

"Roger" the fiery girl giggled at the childishness and made a show of making long strips of hot fire dance in front of the incoming bikes. One of the drivers hit the brakes and moved out while the other decided to take the risk and sped up with his head ducked down to avoid any damage. To their dismay, the driver made it out and was now blocking their front.

"Amara you keep the other two distracted. I'll take care off the guy up front" Bobby declared while a worried looking Jaime went to seat by the silent Jubilee. He had a bad feeling about all of this.

The bike at the front kept trying to slow them down by almost gracing its back wheel to the front of the van. But that didn't seemed to stop Rogue from bumping the bike a few times, making sure to send the message that she wasn't backing up. Meanwhile, Bobby was heaving his upper body out of the passenger window to get a better shot at the front.

"Yer messing with da wrong girl when it comes t'wheels" almost snarled Rogue as one of the bikers behind tried to get pass her.

Her skillful swerving of the huge van from side to side keeping every attempt to get pass her at bay all the while Amara kept blasting the ones that did manage to get pass. It appeared that even though they were at a disadvantage, they had a chance of getting out of the solitary road in a matter of minutes. Then all that was left were a few country streets and they would reach the mansion. But a look at the rear view mirror made her thoughts stop dead. She had forgotten all about the Matthews boy and with Amara occupied with the persistent bikers at the left side of the van and Bobby taking care of the front, the right side was left vulnerable for a fraction of a second. Opportunity which Josh took a hold on immediately.

The golden jaguar came fast, just besides Bobby's window. The Iceman himself was surprised, diverting his attention from the front to his side.

"Hey Drake! Think fast!"

And with a sudden movement, Josh Matthews stood from his seat with a medium-size black spray can in his hands; and aiming it right at the wide-eyed boy, he pressed hard on its nozzle.

Bobby Drake couldn't have had a chance to move fast enough to avoid being sprayed. That is if Rogue hadn't had grabbed a hold of the back of his shirt and pulled hard.

Bobby's head slammed hard against the gearshift, the sudden pain leaving him numb for a few seconds. Unfortunately, by taking Bobby out of harm's way, Rogue didn't count on putting herself in it, for the spurt meant for Bobby came and splashed in her face instead. There was an instant sudden burning sensation, as if her eyes were set on rabid fire; all the while the strange acrid smell of the liquid spread rapidly all over the car. She faintly heard Bobby yell at the others to cover their faces while she desperately tried to rub the acid out of her eyes, a sudden headache overwhelming her senses.

All the commotion caused Rogue to lose control of the van for a moment and the activity inside halted the moment they felt the Toyota crash roughly through the railings of the road. The immediate turbulence of the van, as it started rushing down a grassy slope riddled with trees here and there, made Rogue lash her hands fast to grip the steering wheel and turn it in time to avoid a huge tree trunk.

But the problem was that the van was already in motion, and no matter how many times she carefully pressed down on the brake pedal, it didn't slow down enough. She had to now trust her quick reflexes would get them out of this situation. And with the way she was squinting to ignore her stinging eyes and pulsing headache, she wasn't so sure of herself.

Amara and Bobby quickly settled inside and buckled up for the rough ride while the others just held on with horrified expressions.

"Shit!" yelled Rogue as another tree trunk came too close for comfort, the van swerving to the right just in the nick of time. "Ah can't see well. Damn that flamin' bastard! What the hell was he thinkin'?!

While Rogue was occupied with making sure they didn't crash to their death, the recruits were all discussing on a way to get themselves out of harm.

"Well, they are no longer following us. They won't risk goin' down at our speed. But Ah still saw them trying so Ah can't be sure" said Sam while soothingly rubbing an ache in his legs.

"Guys we got to do something. Can't you stop us with your ice?" Jaime desperately asked Bobby.

"No, my ice could worsen the situation but even if it could help I don't think I can. I think that blow in the head numbed my powers 'cause I can't seem to feel them for the moment"

A nauseous looking Amara frowned, confused at his answer while Sam looked at the passing trees from the back window and unbuckled his seat belt.

"What are you doing Sam? Put your seat belt back on before you're sent flying out a window"

Sam dismissed Jaime's warning with a shake of the head and made his way to where they were seating.

"Don't worry Jaime, Ah'm invulnerable when A'm blasting remembah? Ah think Ah gotta plan"

"What do ya have in mind Sammy?" asked Rogue from the front who miraculously was managing to maintained the big van steady throughout the dirt and grass of the woods.

"Maybe if Ah blasted out da door Ah could stop da car with mah powers. Ah'd be invulnerable so if it doesn't really work Ah could still fly out of harm an' look fo' help"

The van caught a slight bump, making the passengers bounce in their seats. Sam, haven't been buckled, bumped his head against the roof of the car.

"Ow!"

"Invulnerable you say?" retorted Jaime.

"Maybe you shouldn't do this." whispered a doubtful Amara.

Sam scowled indignantly and embarrassed at the same time as he rubbed his smarting head.

"_While_ Ah'm blasting" he clarified yet again.

"Fahne fly boy, do yer stuff"

Sam nodded at Rogue's approval and went to open the sliding door, the cold wind pelting in his face and filtering in, making Jubilee shiver. He saw tree trunks pass by as the van trembled from the uneven road below. He kept an eye to watch out for the perfect time to lunge out. But by the look of the rough steep hill they were driving in, Sam knew that such chances were bleak. He saw his chance in a three second clearing break and just when he was jumping out of the van, he heard Amara's sudden warning for him not to do so. The next thing he knew, he was hitting the dirt hard and rolling down the grass fast. Pain overwhelming him until his body smacked against a random tree trunk and his world was covered in darkness.

000 ROF 000

"Sam don't!!!"

But it was too late. Amara watched horrified as her friend smacked against the floor and rolled out of sight, the van continuing its turbulent motion.

"What da hell happened?! Where's Sam?" yelled Rogue, not being able to turn her weary eyes out of the front.

"Oh my god!" screeched Jubilee while Jaime gaped out the back, silent in horror.

"Why did he do that? Why didn't he fly?!" shouted a desperate Bobby.

"Because he couldn't! When you said you couldn't use your powers I started feeling strange and sort of motion-sick. I don't get motion-sick unless I'm far from the earth's soil! Then I tried looking for my connection with nature and I couldn't find it!"

"And what does it matters! What's that got to do with Sam?" questioned a wide-eyed Jaime.

"I couldn't use my powers and so couldn't Bobby. I had a feeling Sam couldn't either and I tried to warn him" sobbed Amara.

Bobby looked horrified as realization fell in place while Jaime was desperately trying to create a clone by slamming himself against the seat.

"Oh god, she's right"

But before they could find out the mystery behind the power loss, the sudden lurches of the van and Rogue's voice diverted their attention.

"Everybody hold on tight, we are on rocky road and Ah don't trust mahself much. Mah vision's blurry"

The van started rocking as they tried to drive pass the trees through the unstable road. Rogue tried squinting the tears out of her damaged eyes to get a better view of the dark path. When she managed to clear off her vision a bit, she immediately widened her eyes in horror.

"Oh shit"

And that was the last the recruits heard her say as the van flew out a well hidden cliff. The constant rocking gone for that instant moment as everybody's mind united as one…and screamed their way down. They could see the dirt floor below approaching at a fast pace, gravity pulling them down with its strength.

Then in a matter of seconds, the Toyota van slammed hard against the floor and the recruits felt the pull of the shock pushing them against their seats then trying to rip them out of them, their tight seat belts being the only thing keeping them secure. But Rogue wasn't that lucky.

In horror the recruits heard something snap and the next thing they saw was Rogue's body, as it was jarred loose off her seat and slammed violently against the roof followed by her chin smacking painfully hard upon the steering wheel. Her limp body over the wheel told them all they were in trouble, just before they saw the out-of-control van heading straight towards a barrage of trees.

"Bobby, do something!!" screamed Jubilee in absolute terror.

Bobby's fast thinking led him to take over the wheel and pull roughly to the side. Although they avoided the danger, the sudden notion made the huge van tip over its weight and to their horror, start rolling down uncontrollably fast. Their torturous trip came to a halt when a harsh crash along with the sound of screeching denting metal stopped the van and shook them out of their seats, their bodies bruising at every hit they took before slowly, one by one, they dimmed out of consciousness.

000 ROF 000

The clock now read 11:45pm as Charles Xavier gazed at the living room window. A vast clear view of the Xavier Institute gates could be seen from between the open red curtains. There was a worried tired frown upon the features of the good professor who was growing worried by each passing second.

McCoy didn't report. That was the first event that shrouded him in worry on the day. He had a distinct feeling that there was something strange going on in Cairo. And to make matters worse, his students had yet to come home after their departure to Bayville High at 7:30pm. Sure they were teenagers and it was understandable and in most cases natural to not expect their presence until the early hours of the morning. But Xavier knew something. The moment he set eyes on the attire some of them were wearing he was instantly brought back to a memory. A memory that had yet to come true.

For after the fall of Apocalypse, Charles Francis Xavier was left with the curse of knowledge. The pains of what was to come. Some of the memories he acquired were more than difficult to decipher let alone understand. But the few he got to read out were more than worrisome. And one of those few was one right out of a biblical event, but not in the good way. In it, he saw his recruits, his dear students, cruelly crucified at the light off the moon, their tattered dirty clothes barely clinging to their skins as they were mocked and smacked by those they protect. This memory had died in the back of his mind and remained there for the past years; that is until two of its participants refreshed and brought it to life with merely the familiar sight of their clothing. Clothing which appeared in said memory.

At first he thought it was his overprotective mind playing tricks on him but upon realizing the probable reality of his thoughts he had desperately tried to find a solution without having to alert his teenage students. The thought of canceling the dance came to mind but he instantly knew it wouldn't work. All it would bring was suspicion and resentment from their part to him. He then thought of going himself and accompanying the young recruits to the dance, as to make sure himself nothing happened. But then another obstacle presented itself. Henry McCoy was due to call him any time on the day so he really couldn't leave the mansion.

His brain had racked for a while, looking for an answer to his problem when the idea came to mind. There was still someone in the mansion, qualified as an adult, who could venture out with the teenagers and make sure they were safe. After thinking it over for a while, he had decided that sending Rogue to keep a watch on the recruits while he waited for Hank's call was the best idea out of all. Thus he sent for her; assured that his problem was solved, his worry dissolved only to reemerge now, at the dark of the night. He couldn't help but think he made a huge mistake and that instead of saving his students, he just placed one more in danger.

He had passed the entire night thinking about it over and over when there came something that confirmed his fears. A barrage of emotions, at first faint but then growing stronger; anger, confusion, surprise but most of all, fear. Every single one hit him like cold stabs at the heart, as his eyes widen at what he suddenly saw in his mind.

He wasted no time in sending a telepathic message towards the remaining sleeping recruits, grabbed the X-jet's keys and rolled fast towards the hangar. The sake of his students rested in his hands.


	3. Chapter 3

Well this is the last I wrote before the huge writer's block hit me. I reread it and cleaned up some grammar errors. I hope I got them all but I'm not sure since English is my second language. Oh and **Kii**, your wish is my command. Which wish? You're going to have to find out.

**B**obby Drake felt his head throb in a pulsing headache. But that was the least of it all for as he slowly regained consciousness, he started feeling the many pains and aches spread around his entire body. First his legs, the muscles in the tights felling heavy and hard; then his torso which might have well been punched through for the uneasiness he felt and last the constant beating he felt in his head. All in all, he felt like crap. He was pondering slipping back into unconsciousness when his hearing started picking up something.

It was a conversation, slowly coming to focus as he regained his senses.

"Not so tougff now are ya? Oh look, you went ou' and hurr yourself" a familiar smug voice filtered through his hearing.

"Leave her alone! You dirty coward she can't even defend herself!" shouted a young angered voice he recognized as Jamie Madrox's.

"Shu'up Madrox, I ain't talkin' to you" retorted the voice which he now recognized as his school rival, Josh Matthews.

There was some laughter coming from behind and the sound of a struggle reached his ears. He tried squinting his eyes open but found out it worsened his headache as he bit down a groan of pain.

"Let. Me. Go! You stupid brute!"

"Hey Josh she thinks she can take me. Never knew this side of you Aquilla. Kinda turns me on"

At the sound of a yelp Bobby forced his eyes open in an instant, the sudden motion giving him a sharp pain in the frontal lobes and making him groan out loud.

"Hey, it seems Drake finally decidedh to grace us with his presence. Aren' you glad girlie? Your boy toy is alive…Wha'da pity"

Bobby then forced his muscles to cooperate and heaved his tired body upwards. As he tried to balance his body in a sitting position, he noticed his hands were tied behind his back with some prickly old rope twisted in a crude knot around his wrists.

He lifted his half lidded eyes to his surrounding, finding a silent Jubilee in the same situation, just a few feet besides him. Amara was struggling against the grip of a huge linebacker who had a lustful grin on him. Just a little to his front sat Jaime who had his hands _and_ legs tied and for some reason was sporting a lot more black and blues than Bobby himself.

But when Bobby finally took on the scene upon him, he finally noticed what was fueling the Multiple Boy's anger. There, on top of a rock, sat Josh. And laying limp on his arms was the body of Rogue, like a crude horrible version of the holy Pieta. Her sneakers seemed to have been discarded, for her feet laid bare against the musty dirt covered floor of the clearing they were in. There was a cliff just to the right and if he wasn't mistaken, Bobby could faintly hear the rushing trickle of water, which led him to believe a small river laid just below it. He drove his thoughts out of the river when he heard Jaime's angered shouts and struggles resurface again.

"Don't you touch her! Leave her alone, you sick ass!"

Josh Matthews was in the process of removing Rogue's purple shirt, having already discarded the leather jacket. Bobby couldn't help his eyes, as they gazed up at the exposed creamy skin of her torso which was now only clad in a black bra. Her heaving chest free for his eyes to roam about. He could deny it to Rahne and the rest but he couldn't deny it to himself. It was true he had fantasies in which Rogue majorly starred, and most of them were always sexual. But seeing the actual thing shocked him beyond his senses. His eyes tried for a desperate moment to record the unblemished, slightly bruised skin. But when Matthews moved for the pants he forced himself to look away. Jaime's indignant shout filled his senses.

"Don't do that! Please don't touch her…please" he almost begged this time.

"Jaime, what are you doing? Let him touch. If he gets knocked out maybe we could get out of here faster" hissed Bobby while discreetly trying to untie his knot.

Jaime turned his face to him. His eyes filled with sadness and hopelessness as tears were trying desperately to be kept at bay.

"You don't understand. He can't touch her, not now. She shouldn't be touched"

Jaime's words only confused him more as to the state of mind of his team mate. But then Jubilee's silent cringe at his side made him look, and widen his eyes out of surprise and horror.

Josh was gently grazing his fingers back and forth against Rogue's long leg. Against Rogue's _bare_ long leg. The only thing left covering her decency were her dark undergarments. Her untouched ivory skin was now shown out in the world, free to human touch. And the first to touch her graceful skin was the one person whom he most hated out in the world.

A sudden wave of hate and anger overwhelmed him while he desperately tried to restrain himself from screaming like a madman and barreling into the oblivious quarterback. Josh's eyes were now roaming over the sleeping woman's body. His gaze was strangely enchanted, mesmerized by the creamy smooth skin that seemed to flow beneath his fingertips. His hand shaking, he reached to caress the silky skin of her cheek, now pink because of the cold, his fingers touching for just a moment before noticing an imperfection in the masterpiece. An amused frown decorated his face as he wiped a wide trail of blood with his thumb, from her brow to the top of the hairline. There was a huge bloody gash across the top of her forehead, results of the crash, along with a massive concussion as he could tell from the bleeding on her ear. She was definitely not waking up soon, the thought causing a sadistically lustful grin to form in his face.

Upon seeing said look, Bobby knew what the jock was thinking even before the teenage shark rabidly lunged to engulf Rogue's neck with his lips. The action filled him with adrenaline as he stood up and started forward. But he didn't last long in his feet for the guy who was with Amara suddenly came out of nowhere and tackled him hard in his ribs, making him fall and wheeze as he fought to catch his breath. He tried to struggle again but a few well placed kicks sent him to lay limp on his side, his dried-up mouth now spitting out thick blood. The only thing he heard now was the jock going back to Amara, laughing at his beating and to his disgust, Josh's moan in between the wet kisses he was giving Rogue. It pained him to even think of what else he could do, now that he could touch her. Why could he touch her?

"Why?" he whispered, repeating his thoughts in his raspy voice.

"Because of the M-Xt" answered Jubilee in a steady calm voice, her eyes not even looking at him, dedicating all their attention to the quarterback in front. "It's an x-gene nullifier. It works upon contact, seeping through the pores and riding in your bloodstream. Then it somehow negates the x-gene. No x-gene, no powers"

"But…but, I made sure. I made sure you guys didn't breathe it. It's impossible for it to have had an effect-"

"It _seeps_ through the pores Bobby. So even if you don't breathe it, it will still affect you"

Bobby swallowed the words, finding truth in them as he recounted the earlier events of the night. He did noticed that what Josh sprayed at them was the famous nullifier that Ray and him had heard of, but still, he thought that it worked as a common poison and as long as they didn't breathe it then it wouldn't matter. He was wrong.

Bobby stayed silent for a moment, contemplating Jubilee's words while trying to block out Amara's struggles and threats of burning all of them to death as soon as her powers came back. But then a thought came to his mind as he lifted his eyes towards the Asian girl who was still sitting calmly, her hands limp, not even trying to make a go at untying their bonds. But what was most surprising was her expression. She was still looking out, towards Josh Matthews; her eyes focused, calm…waiting.

"Hey Jubes—he paused waiting for her to look at him. She didn't. — How come you know so much about this M-Xt?" his voice tinted with a little suspicion.

A frown made its way to her face, scrunching her brows in annoyance, yet still she kept her firm gaze.

"Tyler told me. He likes to brag"

Bobby nodded slowly in slight comprehension, then turned to look around towards the other people present in the clearing besides them and Josh. His eyes landed were Amara and the linebacker that kicked him were sitting among a bunch of cut down logs and wooden planks. Amara had just recently kicked the guy who apparently tried to get fresh with her. Even though she managed to bruise his shin, all that earned her was a rough backhand to her face. Bobby winced and resisted the sudden pain that came from his sudden will to move his battered body to aid his friend. He looked towards Jubilee but it seemed her friend's situation didn't perturb her much for she still kept looking out towards Josh.

"Jubilee, where's Briggs? He isn't with the others"

"He went out to look for Sam in the woods; they want us all here first. Now shut up and stop struggling. I got a plan and I don't want you wearing your body out. Someone's got to carry Rogue" she hissed while still refusing to look at him.

That was when Bobby noticed something. Jubilee wasn't looking at Matthews. She was looking _past_ Matthews, at a slight entrance to the dark woods which he now was sure it was were Briggs had gone off to. But then something else Jubilee said clicked in his mind. Did she say she had a plan? So what was she……she was waiting for Briggs to comeback, that is to comeback _with_ Sam!

He looked at the calm and collected girl, keeping her energies for when they would come in need of. His vision of her changed. She no longer resembled the ditzy bimbo, California mall-rat; but rather more of a leader. Someone who could be trusted when in need.

Just then, his train of thought was disturbed by the sound of approaching footsteps. Out of the darkness of the trees, three figures walked out in hurried, unsteady steps.

Josh lifted his eyes off Rogue's bare skin for the first time to look upon the angered face of his accomplice, Tyler Briggs. His other two teammates, Byron Grant and Joe Dyer, had the same expression; like a wrestler being denied to slam people.

"I assume you di'n' find him, righ'?" questioned Josh, while the linebacker approached them, gracelessly dropping Amara besides Jaime.

"What happened?" the bulky defense player asked.

"The freak was nowhere to be found. Maybe, if we are lucky, some thing went off and made a feast out of him" answered Tyler while making his way towards the tied up recruits.

In between their captors' conversation, Jubilee broke off her trance and turned to Bobby and the others in a hurried manner.

"Okay guys, when I give you the signal cover your eyes and lay on the floor. Then after you run as fast as you can to your right" she whispered in a hurry, then, noticing Tyler coming she tripped over her last words. "Don't hesitate" was all the confused recruits understood before Tyler addressed Jubilee.

"Don't be stupid Tyler; there is no wild life in these woods. But we don't have to worry. The mutie must have jumped out and broken his neck. He's probably laying dead somewhere out there"

"Yeah, you're right" answered Briggs who later grinned and walked off to Jubilee. "You heard that right? Now that I don't have to worry about your freaky friend, we can all spend some quality time together. I mean, is not fair you only got to watch Josh, all alone here. So waddaya say we do some stuff of our own?" he finish while pulling her by her hair to a stand.

Jubilee only scowled in disgust and anger before a mischievous smirk made its way up her face. Suddenly there was the distinct sound of a 'paf' and then the 'thud' of a bundle of ropes falling to the ground and the next thing Tyler saw was Jubilee's quick palm coming fast, and painfully snapping hard against his nose. The sound of breaking bones filled the air, but Briggs didn't had a chance to even howl in pain before his breath was cut short by a hard knee to the abs, making him double over in pain and giving Jubilee the chance to finish him with a hammer blow with both hands to the back of the head. Tyler Briggs laid in a crumple of pain seconds before all hell broke loose. The entire group of young men launched to a sprint towards her.

_Time for step 2_, Jubilee thought.

"DROP NOW!" she yelled giving out the cue.

As every recruit dropped to the floor and clenched their eyes, Jubilee concentrated on her powers and the brightest plasma-fireworks she could imagine. Remembering how her last lesson with Rogue went, she tried to keep control of the damage it would cause. And just when all the Football members were running right at her, she released her power while shutting close her eyes; releasing dozens of energy globules which varied in size and shape and stopping the jocks in their tracks who couldn't help but stare at the wavering wall of light and sparkles that filled in front of them. With a slight tightening of her hand muscles and a mental grunt, the boys didn't know what hit them as the grand amount of globules started blowing up around them, creating a blinding and bright screeching light whose intensity sent them off flying backwards with a huge bang, their bodies impacting on the floor and sliding to a stop a good few meters away from her.

The recruits, at the sound of their captors wails of pain and complains of blindness, warily opened their eyes and took on the damage done by their Asian friend.

"What the…But how?" asked a confused Bobby.

"No time now. You and Jaime grab Rogue, and come back before those idiots recover." ordered Jubilee while grabbing Amara by her arm and pulling her towards the cliff.

The boys hesitated a second before hoisting the half-naked woman between their shoulders. The sudden contact of her warm bare arms on their necks made them both shiver as they made their way towards the girls.

"Okay, now we gotta jump. It's the only quick way to escape them for the moment. This stream is bound to lead us to Breakstone Lake. We can make our way home from there"

Bobby looked at Jubilee as if she had gone crazy while Amara looked uneasily towards the cold water. The only one who didn't seem to have a problem was Jaime who just nodded with a firm expression.

"Are you crazy?!" was Bobby's simple answer while Amara only retorted with "What if we drown o-or freeze to death? Winter's coming up and that water is bound to be cold. I don't do well in cold"

"Look we don't have time for this! Sam and Rogue need our help so we got to move fast and the quickest way right now is jumping" By the looks of the still dubious faces Jubilee's anger seemed to increase a notch.

"Are you X-men or not?" came Jubilee's furious retort. Her eyes blazing while looking from Amara's stricken face to Bobby's.

The comment seemed to have hit home as both the young recruits widen their eyes while the implication's meaning fell on them. One look around them, from Jamie's determined face to Rogue's pained unconscious one made up both their choices. With a shaky nod from Amara and an equally shaken and slow one from Bobby, Jubilee's face was set in a grim smile as she turned her determined eyes towards the raging water below her. She took a deep calming breath to think about what she was about to do.

"Okay"—she paused—"We haven't got much time. Those guys we'll be waking up soon. Me and Amara are going to go off first, then you guys can follow with Rogue about 5 seconds later after we hit the water. That'll make sure we don't collide, oh and hold on to Rogue the both of you because I don't think Wolvie's going to be happy if you guys manage to let her slip down a river"

There was a brief smile in each of their faces on the thought of the serious beating they imagine they would go through if said events were to happen, but the smiles didn't last long as looks of slight fear and determination set upon them yet again. Jubilee made a grab for Amara's trembling hand which to her surprise, managed to return her grip. A smile from her friend confirmed that she trusted her. With one last look at the boys and a brief glance at the stirring jocks, both friends took on a breath and ran towards the edge, taking a leap of faith and disappearing from the boys' range of vision. Amara's frightened screams and Jubilee's "See ya at the bottom!" reverberating all around the small canyon.

The boys gulped and after hearing the ominous splashes they nervously counted to five. When the time was up they looked at each other, tighten their grips upon the limp arms around their shoulders and with loud shouts, ran with all their might until the time to jump came, their shouts changing to louder screams. The exhilarating feel of flying while the wind whipped against their dirty clothes making them lift and flap everywhere was then abruptly changed to foreboding of pain-to-come as they saw the river's surface approaching towards them fast. There was that brief second in which they thought that this was it, the end; right before their flailing feet broke the surface with a painful burning splash.

Both their bodies' weight and Rogue's dragged them lower, sinking them fast towards the river's rocky floor in a matter of seconds. Jaime registered a sudden sharp pain on his right leg as he hit the floor violently, his grip on Rogue's arm becoming loose. But to his dismay, he noticed Bobby knock his head hard in one of the rocks before his hand around Rogue's lost strength and he started drifting away from them; His body being rapidly pulled by the strong current.

Getting an adrenaline rush, Jaime made a mad dash for his comrade's still body before he got too far for him, securing a grip around the Iceman's shirt collar. But the strain of now dragging two heavy bodies plus the pulsing pain which Jaime was sure came from his now broken leg, inabilitated him from swimming up to the river's surface. He was losing time fast and it was only a matter of moments before he couldn't hold his breath any longer. The corners of both his eyes were getting dark and his brain felt like it was going to explode from the strain. Not to mention his crying lungs who desperately begged for oxygen.

A glimmer of hope appeared when after much effort he managed to take out a hand, feeling the air outside numb its joints quickly. But before he could grab on to shore safely, he felt Bobby's and Rogue's bodies being pulled by the current, dragging his along with them. With his last attempt at getting back to shore a failure, he felt immense guilt flooding him for having failed both his friends who were now going to die, drowned along with him. With his tired and defeated body sinking fast the last image he managed to see before consciousness left him and his eyes drifted close was a distortion in the water along with a yellow blur. Then he knew no more.

000 ROF 000

He felt strange. That's the only way he could describe it for never in his life had he ever felt this…strange feeling before. For some reason his body was twitching and trembling violently. His skin felt slick outside yet stiff inside. His muscles were all cramped and as he regained more consciousness he started hearing a strange clattering noise. His head was throbbing madly while he felt himself cough out some water from his irritated throat. His hearing got better and he managed to recognize a warm presence near him. There was then some sudden pressure applied upon his chest and he found himself spitting out more water while regaining most of his senses.

As he started lifting his swollen eyelids his vision became a blurry kaleidoscope of colors in which vibrant yellow and black seemed to reign.

"About time, you idiot" whispered a familiar voice "Bobby's awake! How are you doing?" yelled the voice.

"Ugh, you better come help me then" answered a slightly desperate voice "Jaime is a little in and out but he's okay. He didn't swallow much; but I-I don't think Rogue's breathing and well…"

As the voice trailed off, Bobby felt the presence besides him shuffle and finally move away. There were some hurried footsteps and frantic curses and shuffling before Bobby commanded his strangely unstable and trembling body to sit up. Rubbing his shaking stiff hand over his eyes he found out that his mouth was moving and that the strange clattering sound was his teeth slamming repeatedly against each other. He tried to stop the movement but found out it was out of his control. The revelation made him frowned confusedly but nothing could have prepared him for what he would see once he opened his eyes.

The first thing he saw was a moaning and trembling Jaime, resting his body against a mossy tree trunk. His features were set in a painful scowl while his hands fidgeted on top of his bleeding right leg. If Bobby looked closer, he could notice what seemed to be a bit of the broken bone sticking out of the muddy wet pants. He shuddered with imaginary pain while diverting his glance towards a group of huddled figures, one which he recognized as his friend, Amara Aquilla, who was pressing down both her hands on something that laid on the floor. There were some grunts coming from her as she gave a few coordinated pushes and then abruptly stopped. The other figure which he recognized as his insufferable best friend, Jubilation Lee, ducked her head and —he squinted to get a better look— kissed Rogue?!!

His eyes widened while he felt all the blood rush rapidly to his face while his strange trembling seemed to ease a little and he regained the strength to stand up. As he stumbled his way over towards the occupied girls, Amara's arm began to yet again move while Jubilee's pink face reemerged.

"W-what the hell are you guys doing?" he exclaimed, making them jump in surprise. It seemed that they hadn't notice his presence because their minds were too occupied with the task at hand.

"Bobby, what the hell? Sit down, you gotta get your strength back" reprimanded an exhausted Jubilee while an equally tired Amara signaled a "Now" then Jubilee yet again ducked her head and Bobby couldn't help but look on with entranced eyes.

As Jubilee reemerged, her ashen face looked towards her Brazilian friend pleadingly. The girl's right ear remained squished on the 21 year old X-woman's chest, looking desperately for any sign of life. Her eyes darted from here to there before locking with the California girl's blue ones.

"Damn it I don't understand" muttered the dark skinned girl before yet again taking position to push. "She's already spat out most of the water, what's wrong now?"

As Amara yet again started to rhythmically apply pressure, Jubilee started twiddling with the southern girl's messy hair. "C'mon Rogue, c'mon. Wake up. Just wake up please, just wake up" her voice breaking at the end while the beginnings of sad tears started gathering at the edges of her thin eyes.

Bobby could only watch stunned as the two girls tried desperately to resuscitate the southern Goth again and again, getting no results every time they checked. By now he could see that their efforts were dwindling and the hope behind them was dying. His eyes fell on their defeated slumped figures, as Amara half-heartily gave a push or two while Jubilee lay sobbing hard on top of the still body of the half naked girl.

"Oh my god, oh my god, oh-my-god,ohmygodohmygod" the cries of Jubilee broke Bobby's already aching heart while Amara tried hard not to cry, having already abandoned her task. But tears were already making their way down her cheek on a silent sad march.

Bobby looked desperately from one to the other, his mind trying hard to deny what his eyes were seeing.

"W-…What the hell are you guys doing?!" he suddenly yelled "Why aren't you guys moving?! D-do something before it's too late! Don't just sit there!"

"Bobby…w-we can't—"

"Sure as hell we can! Out of the way Jubes" he rudely shoved the girl away, taking on her position. His hand already at Rogue's throat, fingers making contact with her skin for the first time, while accommodating her chin to open up her throat. Bobby felt a pang of fear pass over him upon feeling the strange, different burning feeling which he had now identified as cold. Cold never affected him this way before because of his powers and all but now, he knew how bad it could feel when your body wasn't immune to it.

He also knew that a cold body wasn't normal on anybody but him, and right now, Bobby could feel that Rogue's body was practically freezing. Not to mention the blue tinge her lips and skin were taking.

There was a feeling of dark foreboding that threatened to fill and tear him from the inside out, but he managed to shake it off before it could consume him. He concentrated with the task at hand, ordering Amara to apply pressure yet again. The girl had but a second to hesitate before Bobby's enraged "Do it!" made her comply.

Bobby always imagined that his first kiss with Rogue was going to be under a set of different circumstances. But as his shaking lips neared her blue tinged ones he couldn't help but pray this wasn't the last one. As he felt the unnatural coldness of her lips, he tried to give his all into blowing warm air inside Rogue's lungs; His cold hands grasping her left one in a desperate attempt to pull her back from wherever she was lost. But as the time progressed with no results yet again, he started to feel the dark foreboding feeling take over his aching body again. Jubilee's loud sobs didn't help the situation either.

Amara had yet again given up on her labor, and had gone to comfort her shaken friend. But his mind wouldn't let him give in as well; wouldn't let him accept, as his hands started to fidget with Rogue's left arm, encasing it in a deathly grip while he tried time and time again to blow air into what was now a hopeless case.

He didn't even know he was crying until he saw his salty tears drip on to the pale girl's still face. And just when he was about to give up on everything, he started noticing something strangely different. The nerves of his hands started picking up a different feeling, much like the one he discovered lately but familiar. A feeling he already knew, experienced and could easily identify. The feeling of warmth.

But before he could call on his discovery, he felt a sudden pull fall upon him, as if an icy claw had quickly slithered from his hands all the way to his head, gripping him tight and yanking him roughly out of reality. And the next thing he knew, his world was dissolving rapidly while something else took its place.

_His vision swam fast. The scenes before his eyes distorted in front of him in a constant dance of motion. Everything was happening in a fraction of a second._

_He was moving, and moving fast. Almost flying. _

_There was someone in front of him, running away from him while he greedily tried to catch up. He could feel all sorts of emotions fill his senses mixing inside him and confusing him._

_Anxiety. Surprise. Amusement. Fear. Excitement. Desperation. Exhilaration. Pain… _

_An attack. He was being attacked. There were strange flashes in the darkness, blinding him._

_Suddenly a huge shadow came out of nowhere, lunging menacingly at him. _

_Everything sped up, actions happening faster than normal. Confusing him as to what was going on._

_Before he knew it, he was grabbing a hold of one figure, female?, while the other screamed at his side. _

_He heard voices, so many voices shouting in protest, pain and delirium. Screaming in complete insanity._

_Then suddenly there was a pair of exotic amber eyes with thin pupils looking straight at him out of the thick darkness while a strange hissing voice ranged among the many others that thrived to be heard._

"_**Not yet…….Not yet!"**_

And he suddenly found himself fighting for his breath while somebody shook him hard by the shoulders.

"Bobby! Bobby! Oh my god Bobby! C'mon what's wrong? What the heck happened?" a voice was yelling at him as he yet again, for the third time this day, tried to recover his senses.

"You know…this is getting tiring" he croaked in a raspy voice to then fall upon a coughing fit.

"Oh my god Bobby, are you okay?" asked the voice which he was now sure belonged to his best friend.

"Yeah, I'm fine Jubes….Just a little out of breath……and extremely tired" he added upon feeling his heavy body.

"You idiot, you scared me" she said while pulling him in a fierce hug that surprised the hell out of him. "He's okay Amara!" she yelled to her friend who to his surprise, was laughing in incredulity.

"You won't believe this but the icedork did it! He really did it! I can't believe it, she's breathing. I mean just like that, all of a sudden she's breathing!" Then there was some more laughter, this one filled with happiness.

The sound of the Brazilian girl's laughter and Jubilee's happy sobs brought a lazy smile to his face as he sat up to gaze at the moving chest of the southern girl they all came to respect. His heart filled with an overwhelming sense of relief and gratefulness at the same time that he could swear that if it wasn't for Jubilee's grip on him, he could have developed the power of flight.

But the happiness was short lived as suddenly he could hear rapid heavy footsteps approaching and before his mind truly registered what that meant, there was a sudden gasp besides him and Amara's laughter suddenly ceased as the sounds of an ominous _click-click_ ranged loudly in the air. Bobby had only par seconds to turn before a deafening bang resounded, leaving him with a high pitch ringing in the inside of his ears while warm liquid suddenly sprayed onto his face. There was an inexplicable confusing silence as he saw his best friend tumble besides him before the ringing and the blanket of deafness left his ears to be replaced by painful shrieks and Amara's horror stricken cry of "Jubilee!" His widened eyes turned to see the shrieking girl clutching her right shoulder, blood rapidly pouring from in between her trembling fingers.

"You Mutant filth had jush about top mh patience" the shooter almost whispered, smoking gun raised, while shaking in contained hatred. The figure of Josh Matthews stood in front of them, his once splendid clothes now full of scorch marks, dirt and grass stains. His trembling snarling face was covered by one or two scratches along with the dirt and sweat that told them he must have hiked down the cliff. His friends weren't looking that great either and some of them seemed to even be lounging some heavy wide packs atop their tired broad shoulders.

Bobby's emotions went haywire as he saw Amara reach out for the fallen Jubilee only to be stopped by her harassing linebacker who quickly twisted her arms and sent her to her knees. Another one of the guys was approaching the feverish Jaime while the last one of the delinquents was setting down the heavy packs besides the inert Rogue after noticing she remained unconscious.

He was on his feet in a matter of seconds. Ignoring the dizzying nausea that washed over him, he barreled head first into the still figure of Josh Matthews. But being a well trained athlete, the boy easily maintained his balance and resisted back before kneeing Bobby in the stomach, slamming the butt of the Beretta on the back of his head and pushing his weakened body to the ground. The sharp sound of the gun being cocked filled the air before it was dangerously pointed at the crumpled boy's face.

"Dhammit Drake! Don't you fhuckin' move unless you wan' me to blow your brains out!" the desperate angered gleam in the quarterback's eyes made the shaking Jubilee stare in horror as the fidgeting finger was set against the gun's trigger.

"N-no!! P-please don't!!" came her desperate cry.

"You should shoot the stinkin' mutant Josh" the boy known as Tyler Briggs stepped besides his friend, a manic snarl plastered on his bruised bleeding face while he twirled a familiar black spray can between his hands. A shriek made the boy look up towards the back to amusedly watch Amara struggling wildly while two of his teammates dragged her towards the wooden planks they had taken out of the packs. Meanwhile, the other boy was carrying the limp body of the Multiple Boy who seemed to have gone into shock, and setting it atop two planks that had been nailed in the ironic shape of an X. Long strips of old rope were being unpacked now, alarming the scared Amara into a frantic state. Tyler decided everything was in order after watching the Brazilian girl hit the dirt because of a powerful punch from one of her captors.

"Now just for that we're going to make yours special" someone growled at the now dazed girl.

All the while Bobby was getting more desperate and angry by the second. How did they end up in this situation? Everything was spiraling way out of control and he was feeling more terrified by the second as he could see no way out of this horrible nightmare.

Bobby then saw Jubilee trying to crawl her way towards him. But she never made more than a foot before Tyler stepped in front of her and emptied the black can on her entire form, suffocating her into an unhealthy cough fit. Bobby was instantly on the move, with anger prompting him to do something but the sudden sharp sting of his cheekbone fracturing against cool metal made him tumble down with a cry.

"Bastards!! What the hell did we ever do to you?!" cried the fallen boy, eyes watering with pain while the right side of his face swelled up incredibly fast. Suddenly he was grabbed by the front of his dirty shirt to come face to face with his attacker.

"What did you ever do? Well I shay eshisting is one of the worsht of all. That…and fhucking up my life!" spat the angered Josh before heaving and throwing the x-man a long 3 feet in the air.

Bobby landed with a wheeze on what were now bruised ribs. He wasn't given a second's rest before a sharp kick in between his rib cage made him cry out in pain. Sobs and wild protests could be heard from Jubilee as she was forcibly restrained by Briggs from intervening. One hand locking her left arm and griping her shoulder wound in torture while the other was almost buried in her eyes' sockets to prevent her from closing her eyes.

"Because of you freaks!-" Josh accentuated with another harsh kick to the diaphragm "-My family has suffered pains and loss!"

Bobby turned to face his assailant only to be greeted by the sole of his sneaker crashing painfully atop his features.

"My father ish rarely home!" continued the enraged boy, drowning Jubilee's shouts for mercy as he smacked kick after stomp after kick on to the beaten form of Bobby "My mother!-" to this the young man stopped to look at the sky in anger before looking towards Bobby with utmost hate "My mother ish as good as dead,… sinche you fucking freaks locked up my brothehr!"

Bobby wheezed frantically trying to move away before another barrage of kicks sent him in to a world of itching piercing pain. He could feel his last meal come right out along with some great amounts of blood in which he tried his best not to choke in. He knew he couldn't take more since the small amount of air that he could inhale without feeling too much pain was not enough to sustain his brain activity.

Meanwhile, Amara felt she was no more than a pair of eyes watching a horror scene unfolding. But unlike in the movies where you only feel slight compassion and solidarity for the characters, this was reality and she knew that it was real pain playing before her eyes. And what was worst was that they were her friends suffering while she laid tied up, impotent. The brutes around her found her friends' agony amusing. She couldn't help but feel a sudden urge to cause _them _pain. The hate, it was cold inside her body, consuming all her thoughts of escape.

"You like what you see prissy princess?" said her harasser who was making sure her hands and wrists were properly tied against the arms of her wooden cross. It would only take a few seconds before she, along with the inert body of Rogue tied besides her were raised from the floor to be exhibited like condemned criminals besides the unconscious Jaime.

"Just pray we don't get more creative" continued the blonde boy while wiggling his eyebrows suggestively and shaking a fist full of nails. With a nod to Joe and Byron, Amara felt hers and Rogue's weird double cross being raised to a high upright position, her blood starting to accumulate in her head and neck with every second of being upside down; her special punishment for resisting.

"Like the skirt from here babe" commented one of the boy from behind.

The irrational part of Amara's mind told her to forget manners and spit all over their hideous faces. But the other part which was a little saner, told her either way all she would gain out of that would be another hard backslap and/or worse. Turning her face away from their disgustingly leering expressions, Amara tried to concentrate in some possible way of getting her friends out of this mess. Bobby's wheezing and Jubilee's shocking gasps weren't making her job easier.

Tears prickled her eyes when she had to yet again force her eyes out of the macabre spectacle taking place in front of her. The coldness of hatred filled her entire being, wanting nothing but the pain and death of the ones that made them suffer so.

With frustrating groans, her body started struggling to free itself and act on her thoughts. Her hands started scrabbling desperately for freedom, to the amusement of some below, feeling the tight restraints hindering any useful movement. Then the finger on her right hand grazed something soft and cold. She looked to her right to find Rogue's immobile left arm was the thing she touched.

"_**If the time comes, were y'all are in a tight spot an' y'all ain't able t'rely on ya powers**_

_**mark mah words**_

**you're gonna regret not taking some 'self-defense crap'**

_**and Ah'm certainly not going ta save ya asses outta that"**_

_How horribly true_

If only they had their powers, the very thing why they were being attacked for in the first place, things wouldn't look so terribly bad. Amara realized that they relied so much on them that the second they were power stripped, they crumpled into nothing; and although it was hard to admit when you were wrong, she suddenly regretted ever having yelled at Rogue that day on their last training section. Because right now she was praying for a miracle, that Rogue could miraculously wake up and help them out like she promised not to, long ago.

Her hearing picked up the sounds of heaving and wet coughing coming from the ice-boy's direction; her eyes not brave enough to investigate what was happening now. All she could do was twist her wrists and scrabble helplessly for more give on her restraints; Mind analyzing any possible way of escape to the point of almost losing all hope. Then her eyes fell on the runic marks adorning the unconscious southerner's arm and her mind flashed.

"_**It was a catastrophe, Charles. An entire crowd, we were lucky it didn't all get out in the media." **_

"_**Unspeakable power. And what frightens me is, it can be anyone in there."**_

"_**I knew that thing was trouble -sob- I told her since it started glowing."**_

"_**It's a canal, I theorize. She's the anchor that's keeping him from eternal traveling."**_

All of that she heard the day after 'the accident'. Things that she hadn't given much thought until now, when ultimate despair called for anything. Then there was today's event. Although she doubted it at first, now that she thought about it again, she knew that _it _had something to do with Rogue's miraculous resurrection because she was certain that for a minute, the X-woman was legally dead.

Then strange logic started connecting in her mind. When one was unconscious, one entered a deep state of sleep where the mind retreated to its deepest parts; the fact that this was a case of unconsciousness by concussion made it a deeper, coma-like sleep. Now this should have killed all hope of Rogue ever helping them out of here but her strained mind found an unlikely way out.

A hopeful grin made its way on her face.

She will give them hell.

Silence.

_Breathe in, breathe out_

That was all he could hear now. Silence and it's only disruptor, his breaths.

Light overwhelmed his vision. As he laid…or floated? He didn't know, but what he did know was that feeling all around him was no more.

_Breathe in, breathe out_

A thought crossed his mind. He should be doing something. He _was _doing something. But what? Something important…

"_**Bastards!! **_

_**What the hell did we ever do to you?!"**_

What? Someone did something.

_Breathe in, breathe out_

"_**Hey Drake! Think fast!"**_

We were attacked.

_Breathe in, breathe out_

"_**Sam don't!!!"**_

My friends…

_Breathe in, breathe out_

"_**Jubilee!"**_

…they are in trouble. I must help them.

_Breathe in, breathe out_

"_**N-no!! P-please don't!!"**_

I must. I want to. But then…why am I not?

_Breathe in, breathe out_

"_**Stop it! Stop hurting him please!"**_

Pain... Why?... Why us?

_Breathe in, breathe out_

"_**Do you know what she said once Drake?"**_

Is not our fault.

_Breathe in, breathe out_

"_**She said…she wished it was me…instead of him."**_

"…_**I hate you"**_

And then the colors started filling in his vision, if not a few.

"I think that last one smashed his skull Josh" someone said.

"…"

"Well show's over so there's no reason for me to stick around" another voice…one he's heard before. He searched for it to confirm his thoughts but his eyes only showed blurry shadows in an even darker background. "C'mon let _us _do something else for fun"

And then Bobby saw and he wished he had not been able to. Defeated onyx eyes, gazing back at him. The trails of her trials coating her flushed cheeks. Strong arms held her limp body while she was taken farther and farther away from him, towards the inside of the darkness.

"N-noo" he tried to say but only a small croak escaped his blood coated mouth. And before he knew it, she was out of his sight and he was left with his deep sense of failure and guilt.

"**Ya worry far too much. She's gonna be alright, she's a big girl"**

Already his attacker was approaching him to most likely finish the job, he thought. His only option left would be to pray. To pray for mercy and forgiveness.

"**Y'all are big boys and girls now"**

"I'm s-sorry"

"**Y'should be able to tell what's right and what's wrong"**

"I was wrong"

"**We're mutants, we don't need self-defense"**

"Please…Help"

_Click-click_

"You don't know how much I'll like you dead"

"Me too"

The unknown raspy voice surprise Josh Matthews along with the sudden shouts and shrieks of his teammates as a giant fire exploded from behind him. Both he and the others turned to stare in stunned surprise while the formerly concussed pale brunette tumbled out of her cross, her entire left hand in flames. His companions where all retreating back from the sight and he had but a second to stare upon murderous brown eyes before she thrust out her hand and a ball of burning pain collided with his chest, blowing him far away from the downed Iceman. The other young men prepared themselves for a similar attack but instead watch hopefully as their attacker shrieked in pain while clutching her arm which was starting to be engulfed in flames. Assured by the sight of their attacker stumbling and losing control of the flames, they were just about to approach the screaming mutant when the flames in her consumed left arm lowered in intensity.

"SSSTAY BAACK!"

And then the ground started to shake massively. The young men found themselves tumbling to the floor after losing their balance, scrambling about in order to dodge the newly emerging rifts in the ground.

"What the hell is going on?!" Tyler Briggs emerged from some trees dragging a semi-conscious Jubilee by her injured arm. It took one look of Jubilee's disarrayed half-dressed state and the flaming mutant was sent into a shrieking fit of anger shooting a tongue of fire towards the arriving boy. Wide eyed, Briggs had seconds to let go of the California girl and launch himself out off the path of destruction.

"Ssshiiit! I thought the can took care of their powers Ty!"

"It did! I've seen it work before, it nulls them completely!" answered Briggs while looking over the direction his friend Josh was last seen. "Where the fuck is Josh?!"

"Well that sure as hell don't look like a nulled mutie!" yelled the blonde line backer while he and Joe jumped to the side to avoid the sudden explosions of vapor and pebbles that came from the rifts.

"Fuck if I know then! Josh answer me man!"

But the called teenager remained silent while his friend Tyler tried to reach the position he thought he could see his friend's foot in, the unsteady ground making it almost impossible to advance much.

"Tyler! Let's get the fuck out of here man, this ain't worth it!" said Amara's tormentor, and his teammates seemed to agree completely with his point of view and were on the process of running back towards were they came from when a scream and two fire balls blasted the pathway and engulfed it in flames. Sparks from the blast caught their pants and made them scramble on the floor to drown the flames licking at them.

"N-NNO! Y-You don't RUN! Stay-Pain t-to you-KILL!!"

The sweating athletes watched frighten as the red faced woman in front of them yelled furiously causing stronger tremors and more heat than they'd ever felt before. The whole clearing now felt like a giant oven was baking it into a hell, and the rabid stumbling girl was its governing demon. The incoherent cries and the smell of burning flesh completed the nightmarish picture to the young men.

"-kill youkill youkill you-FEEL!So many in-Just for a moment-NEED to make them pay-HURTS I'm sorry-"

"R-Rogue?" croaked Jubilee while looking towards the rambling girl who didn't seem to notice her. Her eyes then landed on the bloody mess that was Bobby Drake and noticed that he was miraculously moving, or twitching more like it. With a sob she crawled her way towards him, her pathway free of any of their previous attackers which where now too preoccupied looking for a way out that wasn't already in flames.

Tyler saw her intentions but decided his search for Josh was more important at the moment. His football teammates were keeping the woman mutant's attention away from his actions.

"Jesus lord we're gonna die! She's gonna kill us!" sputtered Byron while clutching burns in his legs.

"Shit! Freak's gone crazy, I'm out of here fire or not!" And noticing their attacker was busy talking to herself the scared blonde linebacker took his chance and ran through the flames that blocked his escape. The other two teenagers decided that small burns were far better than being roasted alive and rapidly followed after him.

The fire was now spreading fast, consuming the trees surrounding the clearing and filling it with smoke. There were strange winds shaking the tops of the trees and lifting up dead leafs from the floor.

"Rogue!" tried to scream Jubilee while dragging Bobby with her trying to avoid the spreading fire. She noticed the smoke was already sweeping over Amara and Jamie's unresponsive bodies. "Rogue -_cough_- stop! Turn it down!"

But the mutant woman seemed to have lost control of her faculties and was now too busy clutching her head and muttering to notice her surroundings. She stumbled forward a few paces before slipping and falling in one knee.

"-confusing-many voices-why stop?-NO ESCAPE-to protect-in danger my friends-HURTS-just a mom -_gasp_-…_ " _

And then Jubilee saw the strangest thing. Rogue's trembling body seem to clamp down in rigor while her pupils flashed bright blue. Then the multiple fires around them started diminishing in size while the flames in her arm extinguished themselves revealing raw burned skin.

"Big mistake mutie" Tyler Briggs emerged from behind a burned tree a few feet in front of Rogue's body, Josh's fire arm clutched in his twitching hand. But before he could even raise it properly an electric blue bolt zapped the gun right out of his hands.

Jubilee looked towards the direction it came from and found the cause of the strange winds. Tears sprang to her eyes at the sight of the dark jet hovering atop their position. The vision of her friends coming down from the vehicle looked like a mirage from heaven. Feeling safe for once in the night, she released the last of her self-control and succumbed to the dizzy spell caused by her blood lost.

000 ROF 000

Nurse Morrow was ordering the expedients of her patients and at the same time looking for her car keys. It had been a tiring long day and her fatigue was showing in her messy dark hair.

"Well that's it for me. I'm going to go home, take a nice bubble bath and sleep for ten hours. Here, they're all yours. Left you some code browns." said Nurse Morrow while piling the column of files on a young nurse.

"Ugh, thanks. I remember bubble baths,…and sleeping too" replied the young brunette as she made her way towards her station to drop off the expedients.

"Girl, I don't know how you and Annie do it. The dog shift is the worst." commented Nurse Rhodes, a small but powerful looking black woman, while putting on her coat "I remember my days in that hell and things were quiet back then if you know what I mean"

The other nurses stared at the woman for a moment and some of them looked nervously over their shoulders and towards the empty hallways of the small hospital.

"Well it's gotten quiet these last few months, right?" answered Annie the nurse as she looked towards her shift companion, Rebecca Rizzo.

But Nurse Rizzo never had a chance to answer because a muffled commotion at front desk directed their attention towards the double doors in front of their small stations which opened loudly, permitting male nurse Gustavo Montaigne to pass through while escorting an occupied bed.

"A lil' help here ladies? There're five more comin' through. Eve darlin' page Doctor Kalarjian-"

"He went home early today, something about his ex-wife" Nurse Morrow took off her coat and assisted Nurse Montaigne while Nurse Annie Lyon and Nurse Rizzo held the doors for the other nurses with the other patients. They managed to get a glimpse of the security guards holding off some angry youngsters who where disputing before closing the doors behind the last of the patients.

"What about Dr. Stevenson?"

"Gus where are you?! He's still not back from the city, is that a GSW?"

The light haired man examined his patients shoulder and cursed. A more throughout examination revealed no more gunshot wounds on the patient relieving him of some of his stress.

"Damn, with no Docs we're goin' to have to operate oursel-wait that new Doc, she's-"

"-Right here." answered suddenly a Latin woman as she gloved her hands. "What have we got?"

The nurses looked chagrined for a moment before Nurse Morrow decided to respond.

"Some minor abrasions in her arms and legs but I think the shoulder GSW is the worse."

"I think we got a train wreck here. Kid's hardly breathing" yelled Nurse Rhodes from one side of the room while another alarmed nurse screamed about severe burns from the other. The mocha skin doctor assessed the chaotic situation with a calm countenance. Meanwhile, in the middle of the commotion, the doors of the ER opened and an impaired man rolled inside.

"Prep the OR, I'll be with you in a moment." calmly ordered the doctor while making her way towards the 'train crash' and examining and feeling up his severely beaten body. "Got some crunchy ribs, and some fractures in the arms. Won't know more for sure until we see the damage inside. Traces of vomit; got to watch out for aspiration. Fix him up for a quick X-ray and then give him some NSAIDs for the pain."

As she was making her way towards the burned victims the wheel chaired man stopped in front of her path.

"Sir you can't be here at this moment or you'll disturb our work. Go back to the front." And she dodged out of his way without losing a step and started examining the patients. "First degree burns to the abdomen, small loss of fluid but no severe damage to the skin. Rub some antibiotic on it. Pupils are sluggish, possible concussion"

As the doctor move to check on the other patient she saw the man approaching her through her peripherals.

"Severe second degree burns to the arm -Sir I told you to get back to the front desk, will someone please make sure he does this time- going to need systemic antibiotic for this one and an IV for fluids. Pupils are blown—"

"Excuse me, you do not understand. I just wish to warn you of the special precautions you should take on my stu—"

"Sir I know perfectly well what kind of precautions I should take on my patients now if you'll just let me do my job then—" but then the doctor was interrupted by a frighten shout coming from the X-ray room followed by a loud thump from her right side made by the falling body of an unconscious nurse with an IV needle in her hands.

"I'm afraid you do not know _these_ kinds of precautions."

The wide eyed doctor could only stare shockingly from the scene before her to the bald man with the concerned frown while the implications sunk in.

000 ROF 000

After the rather surprising turn of events, some semblance of order was established in the ER by the good Doctor who with a stern glance managed to appease the fears of her staff towards their 'special' patients. Taking the necessary precautions informed to her by Professor Xavier, she succeeded in safely stabilizing the conditions of the patients without any more problems.

Charles Xavier was contemplating the past night's events when he noticed the Hispanic doctor approach him cautiously.

"Well Professor, it looks like you may be able to take Ms. Aquilla and Mr. Maddrox home today after the therapy. We found no noticeable damage to their lungs so I think it safe to dispatch them."

_Don't think about itDon't think about itDon't think about it-What if he knows?Don't think about it-Nobody knows here I can't have this happening nowDon't think about it! He's supposed to be some mind readerHe'll know._

"Mr. Matthews may need to remain a day just to make sure there is no risk of infection. As for the others—"

"You're a mutant"

"W-what?"

"I'm sorry but I couldn't help it. You're thinking so hard that you're in fact projecting which for a telepath is rather like shouting at someone in the ear."

"I- you're wrong. I…" She looked for people who might have heard around the waiting room but found none. "Look I don't want it to be known alright? I got a good job here and I just want to keep on doing it."

"It is not my intention to disrupt your life, but I must advice you that denying your true nature will only lead you to future pains. It is necessary that we accept ourselves for others to be able to do so in the first place"

"Yes but is not that easy! If this got out then I might lose my job as a doctor which is about the only thing that matters to me. I help people. A lot of people. And if 'denying my true nature' enables me to do so then so be it."

After that passionate confession the doctor looked again over her shoulders and glared at the few persons that seemed to have noticed her agitated state. After driving their stares off with her glare she took a deep breath to compose herself. The Professor calmly surveyed her actions while frowning in deep thought.

"If practicing as a doctor is all you truly wish, then perhaps there is a solution I could offer."

The woman looked at the smiling man with an interested yet wary look, her own thoughts already guessing what the man could be referring to and debating the outcome of such a decision. The telepath smiled at her while looking towards her name tag.

"Would you be interested in working at a school, Dr. Reyes?"

-

--

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----End episode 1-


End file.
